Housing
Chilliwack uses different planning tools to support housing in the city, with the Official Community Plan (OCP) as the foundation. The OCP includes growth management and housing policies to encourage more housing to be built in key places and meet the city’s housing needs, and design guidance in Development Permit Areas to promote attractive ADU, small-scale, townhouse, and apartment developments.
The City is also measuring how much housing is being built through monitoring our progress on meeting Provincial Housing Targets.
Resources
Density Benefits
The Official Community Plan includes a Density Benefits Area where extra density is allowed in exchange for receiving "benefits" such as community amenities or affordable housing. Density Benefits is sometimes called density bonusing. The specific denstiy and "benefits" are in the Zoning Bylaw.
Quick Guide
Council Report
Density Benefits Housing Reserve Fund Policy | Bylaw
Transit-Oriented Areas
The Province required Chilliwack to designate a Transit-Oriented Area (TOA) where the following applies:
- No parking is required for residential development.
- Density minimums apply within 200m and 400m of the transit centre.
In June 2024, Council adopted the related Zoning Bylaw updates. The TOA is in Downtown around the Spadina Avenue transit exchange.
Housing Needs Report
The Housing Needs Report identifies the 5- and 10- year housing needs in our community, focusing on affordability and demand for different housing types. This report is used to inform updates to the Official Community Plan.
Local governments are required by the Province to complete a Housing Needs Report every 5 years. The next report must be completed by December 31, 2028.
2024 Interim Housing Needs Report | Method | Council Report
2020 Housing Needs Report | Appendices
Government of BC - Housing Needs Reports
