City reports significant progress on Housing Action Plan

Surrey, BC – The City of Surrey is reporting significant progress in achieving its goals in the Housing Action Plan in its semi-annual Housing Accelerator Fund (HAF) progress report. In December 2023 the City received approval for $95.6M dollars from the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) to provide financial incentives to remove barriers to housing supply, accelerate growth, and support community development over the next three years. The progress report comes six months into this three-year project. 

“Increasing housing supply and removing barriers to housing are a top priority as more people move to Surrey,” said Mayor Brenda Locke. “I’m proud of the progress we’ve made and we continue to work to address housing challenges to support our community. We are committed to creating housing options that are inclusive and sustainable. As the City works quickly to meet the growing demand, it is crucial that the Province also prioritizes funding for critical infrastructure that will support the influx of new residents, including schools, healthcare facilities, and public transportation systems that are essential to the well-being and quality of life for all Surrey residents." 

As of May 2024, the City has issued approvals for 5,200 net new dwellings, surpassing the expected annual average.  Several enhancements have been initiated from the HAF Action including:  

• Updates to the Development Cost Charges exemptions for affordable housing projects;  
• Launch of the Development Inquiry Assistant (DIA), an artificial intelligence tool designed to provide users with general information about the permitting process;   
• Initiation of the Rapid Transit Incentive Program and Non-Market Rental Incentive Program;  
• Proposed updates to the Zoning Bylaw in response to recent provincial housing legislation to allow small-scale multi-unit housing in all single family and duplex zones; 
• Providing financial support for Surrey Urban Indigenous Leadership Committee to build capacity in the Indigenous housing section towards increasing the supply of Indigenous housing units; and  
• Securing and onboarding HAF staff resources to support implementation of the action plan and continued application processing.  

Staff are continuing to work on the action plan while prioritizing the following items:  

• Advancing policies and zoning bylaw amendments to introduce new zones in response to provincial housing legislation;  
• Reviewing the Certified Professional Program to understand the role of professional reliance in the permitting process;  
• Updating the Housing Needs Report;  
• Reviewing the Guaranteed Permitting Timelines programs and application prioritization process;  
• Initiating the development of a data-driven performance monitoring program to reduce the rate of inspections for high-performing plumbing contractors;  
• Developing digital permitting opportunities for tenant improvement permits, including sign permits; and  
• Continuing efforts to identify additional staff to support the Action Plan and application processing.  

For more information on the HAF Action Plan, including the corporate report, visit our website.