New provincial legislation will have a “far-reaching” impact on Mission’s approach to housing.
In November, the province passed Bills 44, 46 and 47, bringing changes to public hearings, increased densities near major transit hubs — including Mission City Station — and new housing targets.
A staff report was provided to City of Mission council at the Feb. 20 meeting that called the changes “the most significant interventions by the province in local government planning in the last 40 years.”
Changes will need to be made to various city bylaws to meet the requirements of the new legislation with deadlines set for the coming months and years. Councillors participated in a workshop on the details of the bills in January and took the first steps in implementing changes at the last council meeting.
“We’re largely positive about the changes that the province is putting in place because we understand the need to address the affordable housing crisis locally,” Mission Mayor Paul Horn said.
According to the report, most departments will require changes to meet the provincial mandates intended to accelerate the housing supply. The planning, building, engineering, finance, parks, and corporate administration departments will have to adjust, the report says.
“As with any far-reaching initiative, there will likely be changes to legislation over time and the city will need to adjust accordingly. Already some cities seem supportive of the changes while others appear to have strong objections to at least components of the legislation,” the report reads.
The legislation aligns with Mission policies that are either already implemented or in-progress, the report says.
“However, the scope of the provincial mandates and proposed timelines are overly ambitious, and will be challenging for Mission to meet, given the lack of regulatory details and clarity of the legislation, other competing priority community planning projects, current operational demands, and lack of current staffing capacity,” the report reads.
Bill 44 comes with several key elements impacting local governments. The legislation requires an update to the city’s housing needs report, with the timeline for targets extended to 20 years.
Community plans and zoning bylaws must be updated every five years under the new requirements — with a 20-year timeline in mind as well.
Changes to small-scale multi-unit housing bylaws to allow increased density in areas currently zoned for single-family or duplex use are also mandated.
The bill also eliminates public hearings for housing rezonings that comply with a city’s community plan. It shifts public feedback to a different stage of the process, with public hearings remaining for community plan amendments.
Mission took its first step in making the changes to public hearings by approving the first three readings for the related bylaw at the Feb. 20 meeting.
Horn says the city will do more with its Neighbourhood Engagement Policy for developments that no longer qualify for a public hearing.
“When it comes to our positioning around our public input processes, the City of Mission has already been working more on early input in the last couple of years,” Horn said. “So the idea that we’re going to remove public hearings and give the public an opportunity for constructive input on multi-unit housing and mixed-use development is already in process. So I think it will be a natural and constructive transition for us.”
Bill 46 includes reforms to infrastructure funding, introducing a new Amenity Cost Charge (ACC) to support funding challenges of local governments. Horn says the city already revised development cost charges in 2023 but will do it again this year.
“That gives us an opportunity to more appropriately cost the effects of this growth and to pass it on to the developers so that taxpayers aren’t paying for that new growth,” he said.
Meanwhile, Bill 47 mandates increased densities near major transit hubs to support new housing developments. Mission City Station was selected as a transit-oriented development area by the province.
High-level implications of the three bills include challenges and concerns with the city’s growth management approach, development review approach, infrastructure and amenities, housing targets, public engagement, development finance, resources, zoning bylaws, in-stream applications and tax implications.
“There are concerns about the impact of upzoning and increased densities in transit areas on increased property taxation, as well as impact on existing businesses in areas now designated for higher uses and density,” the report reads.
The report indicates that there’s a lack of clarity on how the changes will impact existing applications with the city. Further studies are also needed on the effects of increased small-scale multi-unit housing to infrastructure, servicing, transportation, parks and amenities. The report says more of this type of development could stretch the city’s ability to finance infrastructure everywhere.
New housing targets will also impact the city.
“The mandates and timelines will disrupt the city’s momentum in other important housing initiatives and potentially inhibit the city’s ability to meet its targets,” the report reads.
However, Horn is optimistic about the Mission’s ability to hit targets with its current resources and opportunities.
“We do have some people that we think can help us address those needs in the next year as these timelines roll up on us and that might put us in a bit of a better position than some other cities out there,” Horn said.
Certain zoning bylaw amendments must be completed by June 30, 2024, along with the designation of Mission’s transit-oriented development area. Housing Needs Reports need to be completed by Jan. 1 2025 and updates to community plans and other zoning bylaws come with a Dec. 31, 2025 deadline.
Mission will receive $345,952 in provincial funding to help meet new provincial legislative requirements.
“We are going to continue to go through the processes and we recognize that along the way, we’ll start to see where we might need more resources and if we need to advocate further to the province for those resources, we’ll do so,” Horn said.
Staff will continue to bring reports to council over the next year to ensure compliance with the provincial legislation.
READ MORE: Housing ministry lists Mission City Station for transit-oriented development
ALSO: Province provides Mission with over $300,000 to assist with housing demands
