Lack of adequate housing is an issue throughout Canada, and acutely felt within a resort community like Revelstoke. The Development Services department plays a critical role in ensuring that the approval framework for the City facilitates a wide range of market and non-market housing across the housing continuum. This section of the Development Services webpage includes important information about supports for non-market housing and tenant protection, such as:

• What is the City's role in non-market housing?
• Housing Needs and Demands Assessments
• Financial Support and Land Disposition for Non-Market Housing
• Oscar Street Master Plan
• Tenant Protections
• Housing Agreements

What is the City’s Role in Non-Market Housing?

Between 2023 and 2024, the City has worked to solidify its role in non-market housing. Part of this included completion of the Housing Solutions Project to examine different models for how the City can support non-market housing to ensure housing is available for all community members. Based on a feasibility analysis completed that examined different models, Council endorsed a model that would support our non-market housing partners in the community, predominately through land disposition and financial support. 

1. Non-Market Housing Feasibility Analysis

Housing Needs and Demands Assessment

To better understand the needs of the community with respect to housing, City’s periodically complete Housing Needs and Demands Assessments. Below includes the most recent information from the City on the housing needs in Revelstoke. 

1. Housing Needs and Demands Assessment (2025 Interim Report)
2. Housing Needs and Demands Assessment (2023 Minor Update)
3. Housing Needs and Demands Assessment (2018 Report)

Financial Support and Land Disposition for Non-Market Housing

The City of Revelstoke has adopted two policies that outline how the City will financially support affordable housing projects, and how affordable housing providers can apply for land from the City to support housing. This includes:

1. Affordable Housing Reserve and Online Accommodation Platform Fund Policy (Policy DS-25)
2. Municipal Land Disposition for Affordable Housing Policy (Policy DS-26)

The Affordable Housing Reserve and Online Accommodation Platform Fund Policy is intended to outline the process for non-profit organizations to apply for one-time capital funds (unless additional funds are authorized by Council) to assist in the development of affordable housing. Under the proposed policy, funds could generally be used for the following purposes:

• Providing grants to support concept development (up to $10,000);
• Acquiring, constructing, or renovating affordable housing;
• Acquiring land to be used for affordable housing; 
• Supporting the acquisition, construction, development or improvement of land to be used for affordable housing; and
• Other uses as may be permitted by Council in accordance with provincial requirements for the use of the funds. 

The Municipal Land Disposition for Affordable Housing Policy is intended to provide a process by which non-profits can apply to the City for land (typically through a 99-year lease agreement) for the purposes of providing affordable housing. The land disposition process includes the following three stages:

• Stage 1 – Entry level application requirements to allow non-profits to explore preliminary concepts and access initial development funding.
• Stage 2 – Requirements to complete preliminary viability components and site design. 
• Stage 3 – Requirements for when non-profits have secured funding, prior to the disposition of municipal lands. 

The City will review available lands for disposition on an annual basis. Two properties are currently identified as suitable for disposition for the purposes of affordable housing at the discretion of Council. It is noted that subsequent subdivision and servicing installation may be required.  

• Priority Lands for Affordable Housing

In order to apply for financial support, land disposition, or both, proponents will need to complete an application form and submit to the Development Services department. While there is no application fee, proponents are required to have a pre-application meeting with staff prior to formal submission. 

Prior to completing an application, proponents are encouraged to review the Affordable Housing Policies Guide. 

• Affordable Housing Policies Guide
  
• Affordable Housing Reserve / Online Accommodation Platform Fund Application
• Land Disposition Application

Please note that you must download the linked PDF forms in order to be able to utilize the fillable PDF function and sign

After an application has been submitted to the Development Services department, it will be brought forward for Council consideration within 30 calendar days. Successful proponents will receive a non-binding letter from the City outlining financial and / or land disposition commitments.

Oscar Street Master Plan

In February 2024, Council approved the Oscar Lands Master Plan. This Master Plan provides a road map for how one of the two properties identified as priority lands for housing is intended to be developed over the long-term. 

The plan along with servicing information and a summary of public engagement completed is provided for below. 

• Oscar Lands Master Plan

Tenant Protection

The City has adopted the Manufactured Home Park Redevelopment, Residential Tenant Protection, and Strata Conversion Policy (Policy DS-24). The policy is multi-faceted with the intent of providing additional protection for existing tenants in the community. The policy is broken up into the following parts: 

1. Redevelopment of existing Manufactured Home Parks
2. Renovations, demolition and rezoning of existing residential buildings
3. Conversion of previously occupied residential buildings into a strata
4. Conversion of previously occupied commercial, and industrial buildings to a strata

A large component of the policy is to provide direction should an application for redeveloping a Manufactured Home Park be received by the City. The policy requires early notification of the redevelopment plans to existing tenants prior to an application being submitted to the City, and outlines a hierarchy of redevelopment options. The intent of the policy is to minimize displacement of existing tenants should an owner wish to redevelop a manufactured home park. 

More information can be found in the City’s Manufactured Home Park Tenant Info Sheet

Housing Agreements

With some housing development projects in the City, amenities in the form of non-market housing are provided and secured through a Housing Agreement Bylaw. This may be required as a developer receives added density (i.e. bonus density) in exchange for providing non-market housing units as part of their development. This is an important tool to ensure that new development in the City includes a diverse array of housing to support all community members.