Zoning & Policy | Missing Middle Initiative

Victoria's Missing Middle Housing Initiative, Explained

Victoria adopted the Missing Middle Housing Initiative on January 26, 2023, on a 6–3 council vote, and it came into effect on March 12, 2023. It made the houseplex and corner townhouse permitted forms in Traditional Residential areas, so a compliant project skips rezoning and the public hearing (Engage Victoria). Here is what changed, and the bylaw chronology you should not conflate.

Key Takeaways

✓Adopted January 26, 2023 (OCP Bylaw 22-044 + Zoning Bylaw 22-045), in effect March 12, 2023.
✓Amended twice: Dec 7, 2023 (Bylaw 23-099 / No. 1324) and Oct 2, 2025 (Bylaw 25-051).
✓Made the houseplex (3–6 units) and corner townhouse (up to 12) permitted forms in R1-B, R1-G, R1-A, R-2.
✓A compliant project has no rezoning and no public hearing — the single biggest change.
✓Scope is the Traditional Residential OCP designation, paired with the right zone.

The Bylaw Timeline

Three dates matter, and three bylaw numbers. Keep them straight: 22-045 is the foundation, 23-099 and 25-051 are amendments to it.

January 26, 2023 Adopted

Council adopted the Missing Middle Housing Initiative on a 6–3 vote — OCP Amendment Bylaw 22-044 and Zoning Amendment Bylaw 22-045. Houseplexes and corner townhouses became permitted forms in Traditional Residential areas.

March 12, 2023 In effect

The bylaws came into force. From this date, a compliant houseplex or corner townhouse could proceed without rezoning and without a public hearing.

December 7, 2023 First amendment

Bylaw 23-099 / Zoning Regulation Amendment Bylaw No. 1324 raised allowable heights, added a minimum ceiling-above-grade for the lowest level, removed bonus density except for right-of-way dedication, and let secondary-suite bedrooms count toward the principal unit's bedroom total.

October 2, 2025 Second amendment

Bylaw 25-051 adjusted houseplex lot-width and floor-area provisions — refinements to the form, not a reopening of the policy.

Bylaw chronology from Engage Victoria — Missing Middle Housing and the Schedule P — Missing Middle Regulations.

What the Initiative Changed

Two new permitted forms

The houseplex (3–6 self-contained units) and the corner townhouse (up to 12 units on a corner lot) became permitted forms in the R1-B, R1-G, R1-A, and R-2 zones. Before, those lots were effectively single-family with suites.

No rezoning, no public hearing

Because the forms are permitted outright, a compliant project does not apply to rezone and there is no public hearing — the step that historically added months of timeline risk and uncertainty.

Citywide in Traditional Residential

The rules apply across the Traditional Residential designation rather than lot by lot. The scope is the OCP designation, paired with one of the four low-density zones.

A built-in family-housing rule

Schedule P §2.1(b) requires the greater of two units or 30% of units to be three-bedroom homes — pushing the form toward family-sized housing, not only small units.

Why No Public Hearing

Under the old path, adding density to a single-family lot meant a rezoning — a discretionary council decision that required a public hearing. That process added time, cost, and uncertainty, and it could end in a no after months of work.

The Missing Middle Housing Initiative removed that step for the houseplex and corner townhouse. By making them permitted forms across Traditional Residential areas, the City turned a discretionary hearing into a rules-based permit. A project that complies with Schedule P does not rezone and is not heard in public — it goes to a development permit (if four or more units) and then a building permit.

That single shift is why the form is worth understanding before you buy a lot. The rules are knowable up front — see how it works and the full Schedule P rules.

Best For

✓ Owners who want certainty up front — a permitted-form path with no discretionary public hearing.
✓ Lots designated Traditional Residential and zoned R1-B, R1-G, R1-A, or R-2 from the date the bylaw took effect.
✓ Projects designed to the three-bedroom rule, which the Initiative builds in toward family housing.

Usually Fails When

✕ Someone treats the three amendment bylaws as interchangeable and applies the wrong version of a rule.
✕ A project assumes the Initiative reaches every residential lot — it does not; the designation gates it.
✕ A design relies on bonus density that the December 2023 amendment removed (except for right-of-way dedication).

What To Verify Before Spending Money

→ Which bylaw version applies — 22-045 as amended by 23-099 and 25-051 — for the rule you are relying on.
→ The Traditional Residential designation for the parcel before assuming the policy applies.
→ The current Schedule P text, since the October 2025 amendment adjusted lot-width and floor-area provisions.

Frequently Asked Questions

When did Victoria adopt the Missing Middle Housing Initiative? +

Council adopted it on January 26, 2023, on a 6–3 vote, through OCP Amendment Bylaw 22-044 and Zoning Amendment Bylaw 22-045. The bylaws came into effect on March 12, 2023 (Engage Victoria — Missing Middle).

Which bylaw is the Missing Middle bylaw — 22-045, 23-099, or 25-051? +

The original zoning amendment is Bylaw 22-045 (adopted January 26, 2023). It was amended twice: Bylaw 23-099 / No. 1324 on December 7, 2023, and Bylaw 25-051 on October 2, 2025. Do not conflate them — 22-045 is the foundation; the later two refine it.

Why is there no public hearing for a Missing Middle project? +

The Initiative made the houseplex and corner townhouse permitted forms across Traditional Residential areas. A permitted form built to the bylaw is not a rezoning, and only rezonings require a public hearing. That is the core change — it moved the decision from a discretionary hearing to a rules-based permit.

What did the December 2023 amendment change? +

Bylaw 23-099 / No. 1324 raised allowable heights, added a minimum ceiling-above-grade requirement for the lowest level, removed bonus density except where a right-of-way is dedicated, and allowed bedrooms in a secondary suite to count toward the principal unit's bedroom total under the three-bedroom rule.

What is the Traditional Residential scope? +

The Initiative applies to lots the Official Community Plan designates Traditional Residential and zones R1-B, R1-G, R1-A, or R-2. Both conditions must be true. The designation is the gate that defines where the policy reaches — it is checked before the zone.

Did Victoria act before the province required it? +

Yes. Victoria adopted the Missing Middle Housing Initiative in January 2023, ahead of the provincial Bill 44 / SSMUH compliance deadline of June 30, 2024. Victoria's position is that its own rules already met or exceeded the provincial floor in many areas. See Bill 44 vs Missing Middle for how the two regimes interact.