At the City Initiatives and Planning Committee (CIPC) meeting on April 21, the City sought clarification on the previous decision to follow BC Housing Design Guidelines and Construction Standards: Minimum Dwelling Unit Floor Areas as an embedded requirement within the City’s Family-Friendly Units Policy. 

The 2026 BC Housing minimum dwelling unit floor areas are now proposed to be embedded in the Family‑Friendly Units Policy, not just referenced in voluntary guidelines, and are as follows:

At the CIPC meeting in February, Council directed that the two- and three-bedroom unit composition percentage requirements for market-rental buildings match requirements for strata developments (an increase from 20% to 25% for two-bedroom units and 5% to 10% for three-bedroom units). During the April meeting, Council confirmed that, although this asset type is challenging to deliver, market-rental buildings should match the requirements for strata.

UDI will be engaging with City staff on this issue, and more information can be found in the full report by City staff.