Scaling up Accessory Dwelling Units in BC’s Small- to
Medium-sized Communities

Research Objective

The project aims to understand the current situation in BC’s small- and medium-sized communities with regards to accessory dwelling units (ADUs), including factors affecting the demand for ADUs, the type of strategies being pursued to encourage ADU creation, the main barriers to the creation of such units. The research will allow us to develop a Leading Practices Guide directed at municipal officials (and to a lesser extent, other stakeholders) interested in considering the range of strategies that could be used to increase the uptake of ADUs in their communities.

Research Plan

Step 1: Develop Best Practices Guide outline and strategies template

Step 2: Conduct a literature review

Step 3: Research number of existing ADUs in Small/Medium Communities (SMC) with a population of 1,000-22,000 in BC:

Step 4: Conduct survey on existing strategies used to promote ADUs in SMCs in BC.

Step 5: Conduct interviews with municipal officials to flesh out information on selected strategies

Step 6: Conduct focus groups and/or interviews to gather input from other stakeholders on strategy implementation. 

Step 7: Add to and revise existing information in the strategy templates accordingly.

Step 8: Write Guide.

Client: BC Housing

Contact Info: info@whistlercentre.ca