Chilliwack is growing fast, and with that growth comes the challenge of ensuring there are enough homes for everyone who calls this city home. The 2024 Interim Housing Needs Report lays out just how many homes we’ll need in the next 5 and 20 years—and the numbers are big. This review isn’t just another planning document; it’s a key piece of the puzzle that will shape how Chilliwack develops over the coming decades. Let’s break it down.
Housing needs reports are required under provincial law to keep cities like Chilliwack on track with planning for growth. Back in 2020, the city completed its first report, and now, with the release of this interim update, we get a clearer picture of how things have changed.
The timing couldn’t be more critical. Population growth in Chilliwack has outpaced earlier projections, and provincial guidelines now require interim reports like this one to ensure planning stays aligned with actual trends. The findings will feed directly into the update of the Official Community Plan (OCP), which is ongoing and will be finalized by the end of 2025. From there, updates will happen every five years, creating a system of regular measurement and accountability.
The projections in this report aren’t just educated guesses—they’re based on a detailed, standardized process developed by the Province of BC. The Housing Needs Report (HNR) methodology uses a framework created by experts to ensure consistency across all municipalities.
To make the process easier for local governments, the Housing Assessment Resource Tools (HART) group from the University of British Columbia developed an online calculator. This tool pulls in key data sources—like census figures, housing stats, and population projections—and applies the provincial methodology to calculate housing needs over 5- and 20-year periods.
The methodology breaks down housing needs into six components:
Extreme Core Housing Need: Households paying more than 50% of their income on housing.
Homelessness: Permanent housing required for people experiencing homelessness.
Suppressed Household Formation: The unmet demand from individuals who can’t form households due to limited housing options.
Anticipated Growth: New homes needed for population growth.
Rental Vacancy Rates: Units required to bring rental availability to a healthy 3%.
Local Demand Buffer: Additional housing to account for unique local pressures.
For Chilliwack, the calculations also include housing needs on local First Nations lands, recognizing their role in the broader housing ecosystem. This collaboration ensures a more complete picture of housing supply and demand across the region.
Chilliwack’s housing needs are clear: the city will require 28,143 new homes over the next 20 years to meet projected demand. That’s a 71% increase in the current housing stock, which is estimated at approximately 39,848 units today. To put that into perspective, this number comes from combining the 35,755 housing units reported in the 2021 Census with the 4,093 units approved or built since then, giving us a solid foundation for these projections.
A 71% increase is substantial—nearly doubling the number of homes in the city over two decades. But this figure reflects the reality of Chilliwack’s rapid population growth and rising demand for housing. Revised projections from BC Stats show the city growing faster than expected, hitting milestones decades ahead of schedule.
This surge is also fueled by challenges like affordability pressures, which drive more people to seek housing outside Metro Vancouver, and suppressed household formation, where young adults delay moving out due to a lack of affordable options. These trends, combined with a tight rental market, have significantly raised the bar for housing demand in Chilliwack.
The good news is that Chilliwack isn’t starting from scratch. In fact, the city has already taken steps to address housing needs since the 2020 report, and these proactive measures are paying off. Over 4,000 new units have been approved since the last report, including affordable housing and developments on First Nations land. These approvals have already exceeded the earlier five-year projection by 249 units, giving the city a bit of breathing room as it works toward long-term targets.
Policies like the Transit-Oriented Area (TOA) Bylaw and zoning changes to allow Small Scale Multi-Unit Housing (SSMUH) are key pieces of the strategy. By focusing on infill development and higher-density housing near transit, the city can grow efficiently without sprawling outward. Over 11,000 properties have been rezoned for SSMUH, allowing for more duplexes, townhouses, and small apartments.
The findings from this report will guide the Official Community Plan update, but don’t expect any dramatic changes. The city’s approach is described as “modest” because most of the required housing can be accommodated within existing land-use designations. Thanks to earlier planning efforts, much of the groundwork is already in place.
Instead of expanding into new areas, Chilliwack will focus on making better use of the land we already have. This means encouraging higher-density developments in transit-friendly areas, adding more secondary suites and garden suites, and prioritizing mixed-use neighbourhoods where people can live, work, and play without relying on cars.
This report isn’t the end of the conversation—it’s just the beginning. Chilliwack will continue to refine its housing strategy as new data comes in. Every five years, a full housing needs report will reassess these projections, ensuring that the city stays on top of its growth challenges. The next big milestone is the OCP update in 2025, which will lock in policies to address the 20-year housing need.
The bottom line? Chilliwack’s housing future is ambitious, but it’s also achievable. With smart planning and ongoing adjustments, the city is positioned to meet the needs of its growing population while maintaining the livability and charm that make it such a great place to call home.
