We’ve got some fantastic news for everyone passionate about housing, community, and, well, just having a lovely place to call home. Remember those prevalent spacious, yet inaccessible single-family homes that make up most of BC’s residentially-zoned land? Well, they’re about to get a lot more fruitful for many more British Columbians.

A Bold and Unprecedented Move

The Province of British Columbia has just proposed Canada’s first province-wide zoning amendment through Bill 44. Single-family homes in municipalities of more than 5000 residents will have the potential to be transformed into multi-unit dwellings, holding between 3 to 6 units. Additionally, secondary suites and laneway homes will be permitted province wide. Now, before you wonder if this is just about squeezing more people into small spaces, let’s chat about why this is such a big deal.

Anyone who’s tried to find a place to live in BC recently knows it’s a bit like hunting for a needle in an increasingly pricey haystack. As our cities grow and housing prices keep surging, finding that dream nook becomes trickier (or even impossible) for many. This provincial approach to gently facilitate more housing supply by transforming how we use the single-family lot is a big step towards alleviating the crisis without significantly altering the character of our neighbourhoods.

By diversifying the housing pool, we can anticipate more families finding homes that fit their needs, cultivating stronger and more vibrant communities in the process.

Enter: Smallworks

This is where we, at Smallworks, get super excited. Our ethos has always been anchored in creating housing equity through small-scale solutions. We are ready to continue to push the envelope by reimagining the single-family neighbourhood as a full-service partner for small-scale developments – helping homeowners design, build, finance, and sell infill projects.

With this bold new direction in BC housing, the future’s looking bright. And, of course, we’re here, tools in hand, ready to help you make the most out of your lot.

Want to learn more or chat about what this might mean for your home? Give us a shout.