About the Reform Initiative

Purpose

The City of Saint John has initiated reform of it's existing Zoning By-Law to facilitate diversity in housing supply. The Zoning Bylaw Reform will address "missing middle" housing development and infill redevelopment in the City's existing neighbourhood's. Zoning reform is increasingly being used to address the issue of "missing middle" housing, which refers to a category of housing types that fall between single-family homes and high-density apartment buildings. The concept of "missing middle" housing targets the gap in housing options that often leads to a lack of affordable, moderate-density housing in many urban areas. More detailed information on “missing middle” housing can be found below.

Goals

To meet the objectives of the City of Saint John Affordable Housing Action Plan and the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation's Housing Accelerator Fund Program. The City intends to create a supportive regulatory framework designed to encourage gentle density and promotion of diverse housing options by:

Outcomes: Improving Housing Diversity & Affordability

Housing diversity refers to a mix of different housing types, sizes, and price ranges in a community. Diverse housing in the City of Saint John pertains mainly to ground-oriented residential development. Ground-oriented residential development refers to housing types and designs that emphasize accessibility and interaction with the street or ground level, as opposed to vertical, multi-story structures. This approach focuses on creating neighborhoods where homes are directly connected to the street, promoting a sense of community and enhancing the livability of residential areas. Ground-oriented residential development includes single-family homes, low and mid-rise apartments, townhouses, affordable housing units, and more. Having a range of housing choices helps prevent market imbalances that may lead to housing shortages, inflated prices, or urban sprawl. By catering to different preferences and needs, a diverse housing market can distribute demand more evenly across various housing types and locations. Single-family detached homes and high-rise apartments, being the most expensive options in the housing market, are significantly impacting affordability. The City of Saint John Zoning By-Law Reform aims to address housing diversity and affordability, through:

What does Gentle Density Housing mean?

"Gentle density housing" refers to a housing approach that increases residential density in a gradual and non-disruptive way. It aims to enhance urban environments by adding more homes or units without drastically altering the character of established neighborhoods. This approach focuses on integrating new housing in a way that respects existing community aesthetics and maintains a balance between growth and livability.

What does Missing Middle Housing mean?

“Missing middle housing” refers to ground-oriented housing types that fall somewhere in between a single-detached home and mid-rise apartment buildings – such as garden suites, secondary suites, townhomes, duplexes, triplexes, and fourplexes where units have direct ground floor access.

Common missing middle and gentle density housing types include;

• Duplexes and Triplexes: Multi-unit buildings with two or three separate living units.

• Fourplexes: Buildings with four separate units.

• Townhouses: Multi-story homes sharing walls with adjacent units, often with a small front or back yard.

• Low-rise Apartments: Small apartment buildings with typically fewer than four stories.

• Courtyard Buildings: Multiple units arranged around a shared courtyard or communal space.

These housing types are characterized by their ability to offer a balance between the density of high-rise buildings and the lower density of single-family homes. They often provide more affordable and varied housing options compared to larger apartment complexes or detached single-family homes. For more information on “Missing Middle Housing” and “Gentle Density Housing” click here.

What does Missing Middle Housing look like and where may it be situated?

Addressing the Issue

The City of Saint John recognizes the importance of missing middle housing and is taking the following steps to address its absence:

• Zoning Bylaw Reform: Updating zoning regulations to allow for a wider variety of housing types and densities can help integrate missing middle housing into existing neighborhoods.
• Community Engagement: Involving the community in the planning process to address concerns and build support for new development to help mitigate resistance to missing middle housing.

By addressing the issues, the City of Saint John can work towards creating more inclusive, affordable, and diverse housing options for residents. The residents of Saint John are invited and encouraged to become involved in the engagement process to share concerns and suggestions to advancing middle housing in the City. Please visit the engagement links below to view the timing of upcoming events and to share your comments and suggestions.

Building the New Bylaw

Process & Schedule

City Locations and Zoning Affected

The summary updates to the City’s zoning fabric will be visualized through the City of Saint John geographic information system (GIS) mapping system to show the new zoning classification and areas covered by the changes. The zones being considered for updating are as follows:

Follow the link below to view the zoning in the City's GIS mapping and to search your address.

https://saintjohn.maps.arcgis.com/apps/instant/basic/index.html?appid=a1e21951c0b94e559f59cc66cbc02e5d

Share Your Feedback

Help identify potential errors, unintended outcomes and improvements to the Zoning Bylaw Reform. Share your individual comments, concerns, and questions by sending an email to:

SJcommunityplan@saintjohn.ca

Additional information will be made available to the public as the process progresses through future phases.