Housing

On 2026-MAY-25, Council gave first and second reading to the Woodgrove Area Plan. The Woodgrove Area Plan provides land use and policy guidance for the development of higher density housing (and a complete community) within the Woodgrove Secondary Urban Centre. The Woodgrove Area Plan will form part of City Plan. More information about the project can be found at this link.

In 2025, the City commenced a comprehensive review of the Zoning Bylaw to address a number of strategic City Plan goals and recent Provincial legislative requirements related to housing. The review will inform a broad range of amendments to update and replace the current Zoning Bylaw. More information about the project can be found at this link. 

The City continues to improve the digital application platform eApply for building permit applications. The implementation of the eApply platform is streamlining the development approvals process and assisting with accelerating processing times. More information can be found at this link. 

On 2025-JUL-28, Council adopted amendments to the "Officer Designation and Delegation of Authority Bylaw No. 7353" to expand the opportunity for Development Permits and Development Variance Permits to be approved by Staff instead of requiring Council approval.

The Provincial Bill 44 – Housing Statutes Amendment Act required local governments to update zoning bylaws to allow Small-Scale Multi-Unit Housing (SSMUH) on any lots currently zoned for a single family home or duplex by 2024-JUN-30. The number of SSMUH permitted on a lot varies with the lot size and location. More information about the project can be found at this link.

The Provincial Bill 47 – Transit-Oriented Areas Amendment Act established transit-supported densities adjacent to transit stations. These areas are referred to as Transit-Oriented Areas (TOAs) and are designated around prescribed transit stations to help achieve the goals of transit-oriented development. TOA Regulation 674 identifies three bus exchanges in Nanaimo that are subject to the TOA legislation: Woodgrove, Country Club, and Vancouver Island University. On 2024-JUN-17, Council adopted the "Transit-Oriented Area Designation Bylaw No.7382". More information about the project can be found at this link.

The City’s "Revitalization Tax Exemption Bylaw (Downtown) 2024 No. 7384" encourages multi-family units in the downtown area by offering a tax exemption, on the municipal portion for a 10-year term, for new multi-family residential developments that contains at least 10 self-contained dwelling units.

City Plan: Nanaimo ReImagined (Official Community Plan) is the City’s strategic planning document, that provides direction for the coming 25 years on land use, Truth and Reconciliation, climate adaptation, health and wellness, diversity, accessibility and inclusion, economic prosperity, sustainable living, and more. City Plan was adopted on 2022-JUL-04. 

Area Plans are a tool to manage development and provide more detailed policy directions for future land use and development in a specific area of the City and form part of City Plan. Area Plans set out policy direction on a range of matters including land use; transportation; servicing; parks, recreation, culture and wellness; and plan implementation - the City's Area Plans can be found here.

In accordance with Provincial legislation, every 5 years Council must receive a report including data and analysis of local demographic and economic trends, as well as current and anticipated housing needs.

• 2024-NOV Interim Housing Needs Report | Technical Memorandum
• 2023-MAY Housing Needs Report
• 2020-JUN Regional Housing Needs Report

In 2024, the Province issued Ministerial Order 203/2024 to the City of Nanaimo in accordance with the Housing Supply Act, which set out targets for the annual net new housing units to be achieved from 2024 to 2029. The Housing Target Order (HTO) targets reflect 75% of the Province’s total estimated housing need for Nanaimo, which is 4,703 housing units from 2024 to 2029. The HTO also includes guidelines for tenure, size, as well as rental rates and supportive housing. To date, Council has received the following progress reports:

• JUN-2025 to JUL-2026 Housing Targets Report | Staff Report
• JUN-2024 to JUL-2025 Housing Targets Report | Staff Report
• Interim Report: JUL-2024 to DEC-2024 | Staff Report

A Housing and Development Overview is prepared for Council each year:

• 2026-JUL-20 PowerPoint Presentation
• 2025-JUL-28 PowerPoint Presentation
• 2024-APR-22 PowerPoint Presentation

On 2026-JUL-27, Council gave third reading to "Zoning Amendment Bylaw 2026 No. 4500.256" (Social Housing Zone) to pre-zone lands in Urban Centre and Corridor land use designations to accelerate the delivery of non-market social housing. Final consideration of adoption of the bylaw by Council is schedule for 2026-SEP-21. More information about the project can be found at this link.

Schedule D of the Zoning Bylaw offers more residential units or density in a development beyond what the base zoning allows (without requiring a rezoning process), when below-market housing is provided within a development.

The City continues to work cooperatively with BC Housing to ensure some of Nanaimo’s most vulnerable people can access a basic and fundamental human right: housing. BC Housing provided an update on their investments in Nanaimo at the 2026-MAR-23 Council meeting. The PowerPoint presentation is available here.

A link to the Memorandum of Understanding between BC Housing and the City (to build new housing on six sites in the community) is available here.

On 2026-APR-20, Council gave first, second and third reading to the "City of Nanaimo Development Cost Charge Reduction Bylaw 2026, No. 7449" which offers a 50% Development Cost Charge reduction for not-for-profit rental housing and supportive housing. Council will consider final reading of this bylaw in 2027-JAN, to reduce the impact of proposed new Development Cost Charge rates on below-market housing. More information can be found in this report.

The purpose of the "Housing Legacy Reserve Fund Establishing Bylaw 2019 No. 7299" is to build a fund that allows for municipal support to affordable housing initiatives in the City. More information can be found in this report.

On 2024-JUL-08, Council approved the Permissive Tax Exemption Policy which includes criteria for non-market housing. The policy outlines eligibility criteria for non-for-profit organizations that provide non-market housing including Legacy Properties, Temporary and Supportive Housing that is offered on a year-round basis. More information can be found at this link.

Housing agreements between a local government and the landowner are a tool to secure affordable and special needs housing. Since 1995, the City has secured the construction of over 1,300 housing units through 26 housing agreements. More information can be found at this link.

A rent bank is a short term or temporary homelessness prevention tool that helps to provide housing stability for low to moderate income renters who are unable to pay their rent or utilities due to life circumstances. The City partners with local non-profits to deliver the rent bank program. More information about the project can be found at this link.

Rent supplements are government-funded payments that bridge the gap between what an individual or family can afford to pay and what the actual cost of housing is. Rent supplements help reduce rent costs to an affordable level whenever possible. The City partners with local non-profits to deliver the rent supplement program. More information about the project can be found at this link.

On 2025-NOV-17, Council approved the Manufactured Home Community Relocation Assistance Policy which provides additional support over provincial requirements for residents facing displacement when a manufactured home park property is redeveloped. 

On 2026-JUL-27, Council adopted the "Residential Tenant Assistance Bylaw 2026 No. 7459" and related amendments to the "Bylaw Notice Enforcement Bylaw 2012 No. 7159". The bylaw requires rental building owners to communicate with and provide financial compensation to tenants impacted by the redevelopment (demolition or partial demolition) of purpose-built rental buildings with four or more rental units.

The Ministry of Housing and Municipal Affairs has identified the City of Nanaimo as a priority community to participate in the Provincial programs Homeless Encampment Action Response Team (HEART); and Homeless Encampment Action Response Temporary Housing (HEARTH). More information can be found at this link.

On 2021-FEB-22, Council adopted the Health and Housing Action Plan (HHAP) as the City’s framework for addressing homelessness, housing instability, health, safety, and poverty reduction. The HHAP emphasizes system-level coordination, shared accountability, and improved planning and data to support better community outcomes. A progress update on the action items in the HHAP was presented at the 2026-MAY-11 Governance and Priorities Committee meeting and is available here.

The City maintains a list of day-use spaces, emergency shelters, nutrition, and hygiene services available to unsheltered or precariously housed residents of Nanaimo. More information can be found at this link.

On 2026-JUL-27, Council adopted the "Off-Street Parking Regulations Bylaw 2026 No. 7453" (to regulate off-street parking and transportation demand management within the City). The Citywide Parking Review examined parking regulations to better align with the City Plan and community goals, including accelerating housing. More information about the project can be found at this link.

The City partnered with BC Builds to create new housing for middle‑income workers by making underutilized City‑owned land available for development. This collaboration was to support local housing needs and contribute to the Province’s goal of increasing the supply of affordable homes. For more information:

• Nanaimo - 6 Commercial Street (BC Builds Homes)
• Nanaimo - 474 Pine Street (BC Builds Homes)
• BC Builds Housing Development Opportunity Notice (City of Nanaimo)

On 2026-JUL-27, Council adopted "Zoning Bylaw Amendment Bylaw 2025 No. 4500.235" which included new Form and Character Design Guidelines for multi-family residential, mixed use, commercial and industrial development. The objective of this project was to simplify the process for housing development permit reviews and eliminate inconsistencies by consolidating multiple existing Development Permit Area 8 (DPA8) design guidelines into one primary document. The form and character design guidelines provide clarity for the development community to understand the City’s expectations for site, building and landscape design in new development. More information about the project can be found at this link.

In 2024-MAY, the provincial government introduced Provincial Bill 35 - Short-Term Rental Accommodation Act to regulate the operation of short-term rentals. The City completed a review and made amendments to Zoning, Parking, Business Licence and Bylaw Notice Enforcement Bylaws to regulate the operation of short-term rentals in zones where residential use is permitted to ensure residential units continue to be available for long-term rental. More information about the project can be found at this link. 

Increasing Housing Options was a set of four proposed initiatives to increase the types of housing options available to Nanaimo residents. Four projects were proposed to seek to increase rental housing stock and diversity by amending existing suite regulations, encourage gentle infill and intensification in existing neighbourhoods, and require much-needed family-friendly and adaptable units in multi-unit housing developments. More information about the project can be found at this link. 

The Nanaimo Affordable Housing Strategy (AHS) provided a framework for the City to work with other levels of government, the private sector, and non-profit organizations to facilitate the development of affordable housing.

• 2022 AHS Annual Implementation Update | PowerPoint Presentation
• 2021 AHS Annual Implementation Update | PowerPoint Presentation
• 2020 AHS Annual Implementation Update | PowerPoint Presentation
• 2019 AHS Annual Implementation Update | PowerPoint Presentation
• 2018 Nanaimo Affordable Housing Strategy