Housing affordability remains one of the most significant community planning priorities in Squamish. As Squamish continues to grow, the District is taking a long-term, coordinated approach to housing that aligns with land use planning, infrastructure investment, and regulatory reform.

Guided by the Official Community Plan (OCP) and the Squamish Housing Action Plan, the District’s focus is on enabling a diverse range of housing types across the community. This includes rental housing, affordable and non-market homes, and missing-middle forms that support complete, inclusive neighbourhoods. The goal is to ensure people of all income levels can continue to live and thrive in Squamish, both now and into the future.

This page provides an overview of housing actions and initiatives in Squamish. More detailed information is available below.

Provincial legislation requires municipalities to plan for housing based on Housing Needs Reports, which describe how housing demand is expected to change as the community grows.

The District's 2023 Housing Needs Report estimates that at least 6,840 new homes will be needed by 2031 and approximately 9,600 homes by 2036. Nearly half of the homes required by 2031 must be affordable to household earning less than $70,000 per year. To meet this demand, annual housing delivery will need to nearly double by 2031 and increase by more than 60% by 2036.

Meeting these needs will require continued investment in new housing, updates to land use regulations, and infrastructure improvements that support infill and higher density development in appropriate locations.

The District is advancing housing through a combination of policy updates, regulatory changes, partnerships, and infrastructure investments.

In November 2023, Council adopted significant Zoning Bylaw amendments to reduce barriers for affordable housing and enable more housing to be delivered without the need for site-specific rezoning. The District also works in partnership with the Squamish Community Housing Society, a non-profit organization established in 2021 to increase access to affordable housing across the community.

Additional regulatory and process improvements are being implemented to align with new Provincial housing legislation and to deliver commitments made through the Housing Accelerator Fund.

Housing work in Squamish is organized around three interconnected focus areas: increasing housing supply, improving affordability for a range of household incomes, and strengthening long-term community resilience.

Housing Action

Housing Action focuses on removing barriers to housing delivery. This includes regulatory reform, zoning, and bylaw updates, development process improvements, and targeted infrastructure investments that enable housing. Many of these initiatives are supported through the Housing Accelerator Fund and respond directly to new Provincial housing legislation. The focus is on improving the housing system so it can support multiple projects, rather than delivering individual housing units.  Learn more about Housing Action

Affordable Housing

Affordable Housing initiatives support households that cannot secure housing through the market alone. This includes partnerships and non-profit and community housing providers, District-led programs, and policy tools that secure long-term affordability. Work in this area focuses on protecting affordability over time, aligning land use, funding, and policy, and supporting housing that meets the needs of residents, including families, seniors, and essential workers. Learn more about Affordable Housing

Missing-Middle Housing

Missing-middle housing includes small-scale, multi-unit forms such as duplexes, triplexes, fourplexes, and townhomes. These housing types play a key role in increasing supply quickly while fitting into existing neighbourhoods. Housing Accelerator Fund supported actions in this area focus on enabling these forms through zoning changes, reduced parking requirements, and clearer development pathways. These change help create more complete and diverse communities within relying solely on large-scale development. Learn more about Missing Middle Housing

Related Initiatives

• Accessory Dwelling Unit Designs
• Housing Design Catalogue

The Housing Accelerator Fund is a federal funding program delivered by the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation that support local governments in accelerating housing delivery through systemic and regulatory change.

In Squamish, Housing Accelerator Fund initiatives focus on regulatory updates, process improvements, and targeted infrastructure investments that enable additional housing supply. These initiatives form part of the District’s broader Housing Action work and support the implementation of new Provincial housing legislation.

In January 2024, the District of Squamish was awarded $7,007,894 over a four-year period. Funding through the program is performance based and tied to progress toward increasing housing supply. The long term regulatory and infrastructure changes supported through the Housing Accelerator Fund are expected to improve housing delivery well beyond the funding period.

• Letter from the Province - Bill 44, 46 and 47 (2024)
• Housing Needs Report 2023
• Interim Update - Housing Needs Report 2024
• Squamish Housing Profile infographic (2023)
• Perpetually Affordable Housing (PAH) Policy (2020) 
• Affordable Housing Strategy & Action Plan (2019)
• District B Sides Podcast Episode 1: Affordable Housing (2019)
• Housing Needs Assessment (2018)
• District of Squamish Affordable Housing Program Final Report (2018)