Principle

Support greater diversity in housing forms, sizes, and tenures through new development and redevelopment opportunities.

Diverse housing forms provide housing that is suitable for all St. Albert residents, regardless of family status, income, or life stage. The availability of more diverse housing stock is required throughout the city, including within new Neighbourhoods and through infill development in existing Neighbourhoods. The following policies support housing options that align with the needs of current and future residents.

The Missing Middle

The “missing middle” is a range of house-scale buildings with multiple units—compatible in scale and form with detached homes—located in a walkable neighbourhood. Common forms of missing middle housing include duplexes, fourplexes, sixplexes, courtyard apartments, townhouses, and live-work units. Changing zoning to enable the development of missing middle housing can help cities provide diverse housing options that fit seamlessly into low-rise walkable neighbourhoods and support walkability, locally serving retail, and public transportation options. New missing middle housing also supports neighbourhood renewal and gives residents more choice of unit size and prices.

Policies

7.1.1.

Address housing needs by monitoring changes in the local housing market and encouraging and enabling housing forms that respond to emerging housing needs.
 

7.1.2.

Monitor contemporary housing practices and trends and respond to these through updates to the Land Use Bylaw, as appropriate, to achieve a more diverse range of housing forms, sizes, and tenures.
 

7.1.3.

Encourage intensification through innovative and emerging housing types that are compatible with existing and planned Neighbourhoods.
 

7.1.4.

Facilitate a range of seniors’ and multigenerational housing forms and housing arrangements to support aging in place that is close to public transit, services, and amenities.
 

7.1.5.

Encourage the inclusion of purpose-built rental housing in all Neighbourhoods.
 

7.1.6.

Encourage partnerships that promote the co-location of market affordable and non-market affordable housing with municipal facilities and services.
 

7.1.7.

Identify opportunities for Land Use Bylaw updates that support Neighbourhood renewal, aging in place, intensification, and diversification of existing housing stock through incremental redevelopment.
 

7.1.8.

Accommodate a greater mix of housing forms in existing Neighbourhoods that respect the scale and character of the area.
 

7.1.9.

Require new high- and medium-density, multi-unit residential development to provide common private amenity spaces.

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Housing for Everyone