Housing

Current Status Spring 2026

The District’s Housing Accelerator Fund (HAF) agreement was initiated on January 24, 2024. Since January 2024, staff have been working on completing the Action Plan to speed up the supply of new housing in Ucluelet. This has included 19 distinct projects that have been completed, and one remaining project that will be completed by summer 2026.

At the Regular Council Meeting on November 4, 2025, staff provided an update to Council and identified the remaining HAF projects to complete as agreed to with CMHC to avoid grant funding impacts.

At the Regular Council Meeting on December 9, 2025, Council considered bylaw amendments presented to fulfill HAF commitments, including:

• Pre-zoning land for multi-family housing and amendments to the R-2 Medium Density Residential zone to make infill development easier and provide more options for property owners.
• Applying rental-only zoning to existing and future purpose-built rental apartment buildings to retain long-term rental housing supply (this does not apply to the secondary rental market, such as secondary suites, coach houses, rented strata units, and rented single-detached houses).
• Amendments to the VR-1 Vacation Rental zone to make it possible to have long-term rental, short-term rental, and owner-occupation on the same property
• An updated Development Cost Charges Bylaw to ensure that “growth pays for growth”.
• An update to the Subdivision Control Bylaw to streamline the creation of green infrastructure such as rain gardens, bio-swales, and constructed wetlands.

Council considered third and final readings of bylaw amendments related to HAF projects at the Regular Council Meetings on January 13 and 27, and by January 27, all the required HAF projects were complete.

Staff Reports to Council provide details on all these projects and can be found in Council Meeting Agendas. Council Meeting Minutes provide a record of Council’s decisions on bylaw amendments and other matters.

You can view Council meeting recordings to listen to staff and consultant presentations to Council, and hear Council discussion prior to their decision-making.

All these are available on the District’s website: Council Meeting Agendas, Minutes, and Video Recordings

Creating supports for Small Scale Multi-Unit Housing Projects

Local Governments across BC, including Ucluelet, have been working diligently to amend Bylaws and streamline permit processes in response to the Provincial Government’s new Homes for People Action Plan. One of the priorities of this action plan focuses on increasing housing affordability and supply through more Small-Scale Multi-Unit Housing (SSMUH), also known as the “missing middle”.

What is “missing middle” housing and how can it benefit Ucluelet residents?

The “missing middle” describes housing forms in between single-family detached homes and large scale apartment buildings (Figure 1). This type of housing comes with an array of community benefits by integrating seamlessly into existing neighbourhoods, addressing diverse housing needs, and increasing affordability.

Check out this video from the City of Vancouver which tells the story of “missing middle” housing. Although some of the information within the video is specific to Vancouver, many of the challenges and benefits are shared in communities across BC, including Ucluelet. Its important for each municipality to determine what type of missing middle housing best suits the community need.

In Ucluelet, accessory dwelling units (ADUs) and secondary suites are an important component to SSMUH. While the District has proactively allowed these in all residential zones for years, recent Zoning Bylaw amendments to parking requirements, setbacks, height, and size regulations ensure our Bylaws align fully with provincial SSMUH legislative priorities.

ADU and Secondary Suite Guides

Amidst the provincial and local regulatory changes, the District of Ucluelet has been developing resources to support Ucluelet residents throughout the process of creating small-scale housing projects. This includes the following How-To Guides for:

• Secondary Suites + Secondary Suite Checklist
• Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs)
• Converting Accessory Buildings to Residential Use + Building Code Assessment for ADU Conversion

Whether you are looking to add a secondary suite, create an ADU, or convert an existing accessory building into a residential space, these guides provide step-by-step instructions and tips for navigating land use and building code regulations.

Secondary Suite Amnesty Program

In addition to the How-to Guides, The District of Ucluelet has recently adopted a policy aiming to help homeowners legalize existing, unauthorized secondary suites. Obtaining a building permit can be viewed by some homeowners as a mysterious bureaucratic process, best avoided if at all possible. However, authorizing a secondary suite through the building permit process provides several benefits related to health, safety, property value, and insurance. To incentivize homeowners to legalize existing un-permitted suites, the District is offering a 12-month “amnesty” program. From September 1, 2024, to September 1, 2025, building permit fees will be waived for applications related to existing secondary suite legalization, and the homeowner can be assured that applying for the permit will not result in a ticket or other fines for having an illegal suite.