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When the BC NDP government introduced new housing legislation in November 2023, it focused on the “missing middle.”
The idea was to enable more density in existing neighbourhoods and more housing options within financial reach by enabling “small-scale, multi-unit housing” or SSMUH (pronounced “smoo”), such as multiplexes.
The legislation required municipalities of more than 5,000 people to amend their bylaws to allow for three to four units on lots previously zoned for single-family or duplex use, and six units on larger lots previously zoned for single-family or duplex use and close to frequent transit networks.
Bill 44 went on to be adopted by nearly all B.C. communities, but experts say the hard part is only just beginning.
Builders told BIV that while small-scale, multi-unit housing has now been unlocked across the province, there hasn’t yet been uptake on a large scale, given high construction costs and other impediments.
The local multiplex industry is a hodgepodge of boutique builders, many of whom aim to assist homeowners with the entire process. They often have strong relationships with vendors and trades, yielding time savings and cost control.
Some builders focus on buying “end-of-life” properties in order to redevelop them into multiplexes, while others offer joint ventures or “co-development” opportunities to mom-and-pop homeowners.
Standardization and economies of scale may still be far off. The business opportunity is certainly there—67,000 single-family lots have been rezoned in Vancouver—but so far, multiplexes are only being built in piecemeal fashion.
“It’s a new area everyone’s exploring,” said Suraj Jhuty, co-principal of Vancouver-based Theorem Developments.
There are two basic types of multiplex projects. A single-family home can be torn down and multiple units erected from scratch, or additional units can be appended to an existing single-family structure.
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