What We Heard

During the engagement activities, participants were asked a range of questions from general hopes and concerns about the future of housing to more specific questions about each housing initiative. Keep reading for a summary of what we heard from you! Or click here for a two page “snapshot”. To see the full Engagement Summary Report which includes demographics and a breakdown of each question asked click here. Verbatim responses from community members will also be shared with Council as part of their decision-making.

Top 3 Hopes for the Future of Housing in the City

• More variety of housing types (e.g. apartments, townhomes, duplexes, triplexes, multi-plexes, secondary suites, laneways, etc.)
• More affordable housing
• More family-friendly housing (e.g. sufficient size for multiple bedrooms, storage etc.)

Top 3 Concerns for the Future of Housing in the City

• Not enough community amenities to support more people (e.g. schools, parks, community centres)
• Not enough infrastructure to support more people (e.g. roads, sewers, etc.)
• Won’t be able to stay in New Westminster because of the cost of housing

In addition to the above, participants were asked a range of specific questions about emerging directions for the four housing initiatives. Overall, most participants supported the City’s emerging directions.

	Transit Oriented Development Areas General support for: Allowing infill housing, townhouses and apartments in Tiers 2 and 3 of TOD Areas (73% support) Allowing townhouses and apartments in Tiers 2 and 3 of TOD Areas (71% support) Extending the TOD Area boundaries when certain principles apply (70% support) Not as much support for: Allowing only apartments in Tier 2 and 3 of the TOD Area (54% did not support)
	Townhouses General support for: Allowing 3 storey townhouses (72% support) Pre-zoning areas for townhouses (73% support) Allowing townhouse units to have secondary suites (64% support) Maximizing opportunities for townhouses in the city, when shown different land uses scenarios (61% support for scenario 3) Requiring 1 off-street parking space per townhouse (55% support)
	Infill housing General support for: Streamlining approvals and permitting processes for infill housing (70% support) Allowing a sliding scale of building floor area based on the number of units provided (66% support)
	Non-profit affordable housing General support for: Allowing affordable housing rental projects in the City’s Transit Oriented Development Areas (75% support) and in locations proposed for townhouses (63% support)