In recent years, Squamish has witnessed significant demographic and housing changes and housing affordability remains a critical issue in Squamish affecting many in our community from the most vulnerable to those with stable incomes. The 2023 District of Squamish Housing Needs Report (HNR) estimates that in order to address population growth, as well as the existing housing needs, Squamish needs:

• A minimum of 6,840 new housing units are needed by 2031 at a range of affordability levels and sizes in order to meet the housing needs of the community in a high-growth scenario. (The District currently has 1,893 units at the Building Permit stage).
• 42% of these will be needed to serve households earning below $70,000 per year.

We are responding to the need for a diversity of housing types in Squamish so that all residents have the opportunity to thrive here for decades to come. Over the next few years, the District of Squamish will be implementing numerous changes to the housing regulatory framework to comply with recently adopted Provincial legislation, and to implement actions which were identified as part of the successful application to the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) Housing Accelerator Fund (HAF).

These efforts are being led through Squamish Housing Action Plan (SHAP), which outlines 32 actions to be completed over the next three years. Initiatives within the SHAP can be grouped into five key categories:

To align our Official Community Plan (OCP) with the housing targets from the Interim Housing Needs Report completed in December 2024, Council has given First Reading to OCP Amendment Bylaw No. 3139 and is now moving through the formal bylaw adoption process. This Provincially mandated implementation update will incorporate housing policies and targets into our OCP. While this is a legislated and technical update, we’re committed to keeping the community informed every step of the way.

The proposed changes to OCP Bylaw 3139 include the first set of provincially required housing policies and targets. You can review the track changes to Section 12, “Diverse and Affordable Housing,” in Schedule 1 of the bylaw. Proposed revisions are as followed:

The graph below shows how different housing planning steps connect, from figuring out what types of homes Squamish needs to updating our Official Community Plan, to make sure our zoning bylaws allow for more homes to be built. The timelines are set by the Province, and Bylaw 3139 is part of meeting those requirements.

A Public Hearing on the proposed District of Squamish Official Community Plan Bylaw No. 2500, 2017, Amendment Bylaw (Interim Housing Needs Report) No. 3139, 2025 will be held on Tuesday, November 18, at 6 p.m. at the District of Squamish Municipal Hall, 37955 Second Avenue.

Residents are invited to have their say on the Amendment Bylaw (Interim Housing Needs Report) No. 3139, 2025 either in person or by written submission. For residents who wish to prepare for the upcoming meeting are encouraged to review the information below before November 18.

View the entire Public Hearing Package

• Official Community Plan Update 2025 Scoping Report - September 10, 2024
• Interim Housing Needs Report 2024 Update Report – December 10, 2024
• Official Community Plan Amendment Bylaw No. 3139 - Interim Housing Needs Report Alignment - First Reading
• Official Community Plan Amendment Bylaw No. 3139 - Interim Housing Needs Report Alignment – Second Reading
• (Coming Soon) Official Community Plan Amendment Bylaw No. 3139 - Interim Housing Needs Report Alignment – Public Hearing Report November 18, 2025

Public Hearing participation information:

• In-person participation: You are invited to participate in person during the public hearing at the District of Squamish Municipal Hall.
• Telephone participation: Participate by telephone by calling +1 604-449-3026 and entering the Access Code 277 351 97595. Dial *3 to ‘raise your hand’ indicating that you’d like to speak. You will hear a message that “your line has been unmuted” when it is your turn to speak.
• Electronic participation: Participate Electronically through the use of the WebEx platform by visiting squamish.ca/participate.
• Written participation: If you are unable to attend the public hearing, or do not wish to speak at the hearing, you can still participate by submitting your written comments to hearing@squamish.ca, or by dropping them off at Municipal Hall before 3 p.m. on November 18, 2025 to the attention of the Corporate Officer. Written submissions will be accepted up to and during the hearing and will form part of the public record. Any submissions received after the close of the hearing cannot be considered by Council.
• Watch the Public Hearing: If you do not wish to participate but would like to watch the public hearing, you can do so by watching the meeting at squamish.ca/live-meetings.

For more information and for detailed instructions regarding electronic and telephone participation please visit squamish.ca/participate in advance of the meeting.

A copy of the proposed bylaws and related information that has been or may be considered by Council is available for public inspection at Municipal Hall (37955 Second Avenue) from November 6, 2025 to November 18, 2025 between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding statutory holidays; or on this page.

Enquiries regarding the proposed amendment bylaw may be made to the Planning Department at 604-815-5002 or by email to planning@squamish.ca.

If you have any questions regarding how to participate in the hearing, please call the District at 604-892-5217.
Council will not consider submissions received after the close of the Public Hearing. All submissions will form part of the public record.

• Add a definition of frequent bus route to the Zoning Bylaw, based on specific service criteria.
• Permit up to six units on R-1 and R-4 properties located within 400 metres of a frequent bus route.

These regulations would only apply once a bus route reaches the required level of service.

This proposed change aligns with new provincial legislation (Bill 44), which requires municipalities over 5,000 people to permit small-scale, multi-unit housing in areas previously zoned for single-family or duplex homes. It also advances key actions in the Squamish Housing Action Plan, endorsed by Council in 2024.

To view an overview of the proposed zoning bylaw amendment, Bylaw 3170, 2025 (Six Units Near a Frequent Bus Route), please visit: letstalksquamish.ca/zoning updates

Under the Province of BC's Homes for People program, new legislation was passed to support the expansion of housing supply in British Columbia. Under Bill 44 (Small Scale, Multi-Unit Housing) municipalities must shift towards greater proactive and long-term planning for housing. As part of this municipalities must now:

• Prepare Housing Needs Reports (HNRs) using a standardized provincial method to estimate total number of homes required to meet both five-year and 20-year housing needs.
• Incorporate these needs directly into Official Community Plans (OCPs).
• Align zoning bylaws to accommodate this 20-year housing need, effectively pre-zoning land for future growth.

The District of Squamish has begun implementing these changes. Below is a timeline outlining Bill 44 implementation.