Housing

The City is updating the Housing Needs Report to better understand the current and future housing needs in Maple Ridge. It will be used as a foundation for planning and decision making for the next five years.

Housing Needs Report Update

For information on the public engagement opportunities that were offered for the public to provide input, visit the Housing Needs Report Update page on Engage Maple Ridge.

Summary Video

Project findings are summarized in this short video:

Why Did We Do This?

The primary purpose of this process was to identify and describe the key needs and gaps in Maple Ridge's housing system to inform future policymaking. A Housing Needs Report is intended to strengthen the ability of local governments to understand what kinds of housing are most needed in their communities, and help inform local plans, policies, and development decisions. The assessment process and report itself will not result in specific new policy but will be used to support and inform future changes (to Official Community Plans, Housing Action Plans, Zoning Bylaws, and others).
 
As of 2019, every local government in BC is legislatively required to undertake a housing needs assessment by April 2022, and every five years thereafter. You can find detailed information about this legislation and the report requirements on the provincial government's website.
 
This work was led by CitySpaces Consulting on behalf of Maple Ridge, with key involvement of city staff and the public.

What Was the Process?

This assessment process took place over four months, with a final presentation to council in February 2021. The key stages of the project are outlined below.

Image
Flowchart detailing the housing assessment process.


The primary objectives of the housing needs assessment were to prepare a report that would:

  • Assess the local housing market conditions
  • Identify the current and emerging housing needs within the City
  • Compare housing supply with housing demand to determine the ability to meet future needs
  • Identify short, medium, and long-term actions to meet the housing needs across the housing continuum in the City
  • Meet the provincial requirements for Housing Needs Reports

The Final Housing Needs Report was presented at the February 9, 2021 Council Workshop. Please find the report here (Item 4.2). The conversation with Council was recorded and is available after the Council Workshop meeting here.

Other Housing Projects in Maple RIdge

The Housing Action Plan  was endorsed by Council in 2014 with an intent to expand housing forms within the community. A Housing Action Plan implementation framework was endorsed by Council in 2015 and since that time, several pieces of work aimed at increasing housing choice have been undertaken, including:

In addition to the above work, the City completed a Housing Needs Report which was endorsed by Council during the February 9, 2021 Council Workshop Meeting.  The Report outcomes are providing the City with a better understanding of our current and future housing needs and is being utilized as a foundation for planning and decision-making for the next five years. Housing for families and seniors are two key areas of local need identified through the assessment.

Have Questions?

If you have questions, please contact the Planning Department:

Email: planning@mapleridge.ca
Phone: 604-467-7341
Fax: 604-466-4327