FAQs

Providing more housing choice is a key focus of the Official Community Plan (OCP). In New Westminster, this means encouraging ground oriented alternatives to single detached houses.

The forms of ground oriented housing that received the most support during development of the OCP were laneway and carriage houses, and townhouses and rowhouses. These forms were the focus of Phase One of the Infill Housing Program, and are now permitted within the appropriate land use designations and zoning districts.  

Phase Two of the program will focus on how duplexes, triplexes, and quadruplexes are permitted. We expect to launch this phase in early 2023. In the meantime, pilot projects for these types of housing are currently being accepted. Visit our website to find out more information.  

Ground oriented housing typically has a separate, exterior door that opens directly onto the street (without passing through a common lobby or corridor). An example of a ground oriented unit would be a duplex, townhouse, or single detached house.

Infill townhouses generally have smaller units, and fewer overall units, than a standard townhouse project. This allows them to fit better into established neighbourhoods.