Maple Ridge, B.C., April 2, 2026 – A progress report on Maple Ridge’s Housing Action Plan shows how the City’s bold moves to streamline development processes, incentivize the construction of more housing options, and engage the community in planning for future growth around transit and other key infrastructure, has helped to modernize housing policy.
Introduced in 2024, the Housing Action: Building Our Community For All strategy sets out goals and actions aimed at getting more homes built, while ensuring that growth is aligned with infrastructure, community needs, and long-term livability.
A progress update provided to City Council on March 24 and 31 showed that, despite a challenging real estate development market, Maple Ridge continues to see strong interest from developers and a steady pace of new development applications. Staff reported that dozens of initiatives have been completed or are in progress that support the delivery of the Housing Action Plan and meet provincial housing targets and federal grant funding requirements.
"As one of the region's fastest-growing communities, Maple Ridge is taking real action to build a livable community for all," said Mayor Dan Ruimy. "We're taking a thoughtful, intentional approach that enables development in the right places—close to transit, the Town Centre and the necessary infrastructure—while protecting livability and natural spaces. We're also making headway on conditions within municipal control to help get housing built, such as streamlining approvals, making strategic capital investments and building a strong local economy, while continuing to advocate for senior government funding for the infrastructure needed to support growth."
Creating a Welcoming Environment for Housing
The City is planning for intentional, data-driven growth—ensuring that housing is developed in areas where infrastructure, services, and amenities can best support it. This includes a strong focus on transit-oriented areas, the Town Centre, and walkable neighbourhoods close to shops, parks, and schools.
"Through our shift to online applications, we've cut new home permit review times by about 75 per cent and are processing new home construction permits approvals in 12 weeks or less," said James Stiver, the City's Director of Planning and Building. "This is a significant accomplishment as we continue to build a modern development system with clear expectations, strong customer focus, faster turnaround times, and a continued commitment to our high standards and public safety."
The City is focused on the factors within its control: updated policies, better customer service, modern online tools and more efficient processes. Cities can create favourable conditions for housing through planning, streamlined approvals and infrastructure, but the delivery of new homes ultimately relies on partnerships with builders, non-profits and senior governments, as well as external factors such as global economic issues and regional housing trends.
Bold Action to Encourage Housing
Since introducing the Housing Action Plan in late 2024, the City has made meaningful progress in implementing initiatives designed to support housing supply, diversity, and affordability.
Streamlining development processes by:
- Introducing Velocity, one of BC's first development concierge services for complex projects that have a community benefit
- Implementing one of BC's first municipal Certified Professional Programs allowing developers to hire certified third parties to ensure compliance and reduce staff time
- Advancing a comprehensive Development Services Optimization project to modernize and digitize development approval processes
- Expanding online permit applications and digital plan review tools
- Processing new home permits in 12 weeks or less, and
- Over 150 rezoning applications and 450 building permits currently underway. 133 new rental homes built, with nearly 300 additional units approved
Encouraging diverse housing options, including affordable, inclusive housing by:
- Launching an online Housing Design Catalogue, one of the region's first, to help support new small-scale multi-unit housing
- Encouraging housing density and mixed-use development on transit routes along the Lougheed Transit Corridor and in the Town Centre
- Updated Official Community Plan policies and area plans (Albion, Hammond, Silver Valley) with community engagement to encourage housing
- Preparing a tenant protection bylaw and rental replacement policy
- Adopting Adaptable Housing Standards for multi-unit residential projects
- Preparing Family-Friendly Housing and Age-Friendly Community Policies, and
- Updating parking requirements, density bonus schemes, and considering Amenity Cost Charges as regulatory tools and financial incentives
These actions are supported by broader investments, including nearly $432 million in the 2026–2030 Capital Plan for transportation, utilities, public safety and community facilities, alongside ongoing economic development initiatives. The City also continues to advance and advocate for transportation improvements through the Maple Ridge Moves strategy.
Meeting Housing Targets
Maple Ridge exceeded the Year One provincial housing target, delivering 751 net new homes from July 1, 2024 to June 30, 2025—23 per cent above the target of 612.
Progress also continues on additional housing targets that were committed to in 2023–2024 to receive up to $16.6 million from the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation’s Housing Accelerator Fund (HAF). By the end of 2025, the City had achieved approximately 22 per cent of its overall HAF target of 2,863 permitted units by 2028, including:
- 82 per cent of its "missing middle" housing target
- Exceeded the requirement for affordable units by 14 per cent, and
- Completing 19 of 22 HAF action plan milestones, with the remaining three on track. A key project includes completing detailed design work for expanding Golden Ears Way
While the housing market remains uncertain between now and the years leading up to 2028, City will continue to prioritize work to complete the remaining HAF milestones and achieve the targets and provide periodic updates to Council and continue to engage the community.
For more information on the City's housing progress, visit MapleRidge.ca/Housing.
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Media contact:
Anna Lilly, Director of External Affairs
T 672 275 1241 E Media@MapleRidge.ca