2615 Sooke Road – Housing Agreement Bylaw No. 2296

2615 Sooke Road – Housing Agreement Bylaw No. 2296

Staff Report to Special Council

DATE: Monday, August 17, 2026
DEPARTMENT: Planning
SUBJECT: 2615 Sooke Road – Housing Agreement Bylaw No. 2296

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

As a condition of rezoning 2615 Sooke Road, the owner agreed to strata-title the building prior to Occupancy Permit. As the owner wishes to construct a purpose-built rental building, they have opted to proceed with the equivalency set out by Council in January 2026. Through this, they wish to enter into a Housing Agreement with the City, such that a minimum of 10% of the units are rented at 30% below the benchmark rent for Langford for a period of 10 years.

Any terms and conditions applied to the occupancy of a rental unit must be secured through a Housing Agreement registered on title of the property, which in turn must be authorized through the adoption of a Housing Agreement Bylaw. Staff have worked with City solicitors to draft the standard terms of the Housing Agreement, which includes definitions on how the below-market rent is to be calculated, income limits, residency requirements, among others. The purpose of this report is for Council to consider first, second, and third reading of City of Langford Housing Agreement (2615 Sooke Road) Bylaw No. 2296, 2026.

BACKGROUND

At their Regular Meeting held September 6, 2022, Council adopted Bylaw No, 2045, which rezoned 2615 Sooke Road to the Community Town Centre Pedestrian 9 (C9) Zone. As a condition of rezoning, the owner agreed to strata-title the building prior to Occupancy Permit.

In January 2026, Council passed a resolution allowing developers of multi-family projects with an existing requirement to strata-title a building prior to Occupancy Permit to provide one of the following equivalency options if they wish to proceed without strata-titling their building:

a. A Housing Agreement with the City that requires a minimum 10% of units constructed be rented for at least 10% below the benchmark rent for the unit type for a term not less than 25 years; or
b. $7,500 per dwelling unit towards the Affordable Housing Reserve Fund.

The owners of 2615 Sooke Road have indicated their intent to register a housing agreement in accordance with the terms of option (a); however, rather than securing 10% of the units at 10% below the benchmark rent for a period of 25 years, they have proposed that a minimum of 10% of units be rented at least 30% below the benchmark rent for the unit type for a term not less than 10 years.

Any terms and conditions applied to the occupancy of a rental unit must be secured through a Housing Agreement registered on title of the property, which in turn must be authorized through the adoption of a Housing Agreement Bylaw. Staff have worked with City solicitors to draft the standard terms of the Housing Agreement, which include definitions on how the below-market rent is to be calculated, income limits, residency requirements, among others.

COMMENTARY

The owners of 2615 Sooke Road are preparing to apply for their Building Permit and wish to register the Housing Agreement on title. The Housing Agreement must be registered and authorized by the Housing Agreement Bylaw before the building permit can be issued.

As drafted, the Housing Agreement attached to Bylaw No. 2296 includes a requirement that six of the units developed at 2615 Sooke Road be rented and used in accordance with the proposed terms of the Agreement, as required by Council.

The terms of the Housing Agreement ensure that these six units shall be rented at 30% below market rent for a period of no less than 10 years. Below market rent will be determined by using a third-party source, the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation’s (CMHC’s) Housing Market Information Portal. Using CMHC’s data, the owner shall rent the units in accordance with the corresponding bedroom type in the City of Langford for the year the tenancy is entered into, or if the data has not been established for the year, the owner shall use the most recent year that CMHC has posted.

To ensure that the affordable units are being rented to the households that need them, tenants must have a gross household income equal to or less than the most recent Affordable Housing Program Housing Income Limits for the “Victoria Planning Area” published by BC Housing (subject to change), which are summarized in the table below:

Additionally, prospective tenants must already reside in Langford, must not own any land, and may not be an immediate family member of the owner as defined in the terms of the attached Agreement. The 2021 Census completed by Statistics Canada states that 20.7% of renters in Langford are living in core housing need which is defined as households spending more than 30% or more of its before-tax income on rent and utilities. Due to this large percentage of renters in core housing need, staff recommend limiting the requirement for this program to current residents of Langford.

To confirm that the owner and tenant meet the requirements in the Agreement, the City is permitted to inspect the units and confirm that the terms are being met by requesting the owner provide written proof of compliance.

The Housing Agreement will expire following the 10th anniversary of the date the City of Langford issues an Occupancy Permit for the below-market units. Upon expiry, the owner may provide to the City a discharge, which the City will execute and return to the owner to file with the Land Title Office.

FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS

There are no known financial implications at this time.

LEGAL IMPLICATIONS

Pursuant to Section 483 of the Local Government Act, a Housing Agreement specifying that certain terms and conditions apply to the occupancy of housing units must be authorized by a Housing Agreement Bylaw.

Should Council wish to move forward with this proposal as described, they may wish to give the first three readings to Bylaw No. 2296 as drafted.

STRATEGIC PLAN ALIGNMENT

1m – Pursue Programs and Partnerships for Affordable Housing.

OPTIONS

Option 1

THAT Council give City of Langford Housing Agreement (2615 Sooke Road) Bylaw No. 2296, 2026, 1st, 2nd and 3rd readings.

OR Option 2

THAT Council take no action at this time with respect to City of Langford Housing Agreement (2615 Sooke Road) Bylaw No. 2296, 2026.

SUBMITTED BY

Matt Notley, Planner II, Community Planning and Development

Concurrence

Melisa Miles, Manager of Legislative Services

Concurrence

Donna Petrie, Senior Manager of Communications & Economic Development

Concurrence

Yari Nielsen, Director of Parks, Recreation and Facilities

Concurrence

Leah Stohmann, RPP, MCIP, Director of Community Planning and Development

Concurrence

Katelyn Balzer, P.Eng., Director of Engineering and Public Works

Concurrence

Marie Watmough, Director of Legislative & Protective Services

Concurrence

Braden Hutchins, Deputy Chief Administrative Officer

Concurrence

Darren Kiedyk, Chief Administrative Officer

Attachments

Attachment 1: Bylaw 2296 and Housing Agreement