Text Amendment - Housing

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This planning application is now complete.


The federal government created the $4 billion Housing Accelerator Fund to spur municipalities to help foster more housing. On March 14, 2024, Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) announced that the City has been allocated over $10.4 million in federal funding through the Housing Accelerator Fund to stimulate housing growth.

CMHC’s Housing Accelerator Fund helps increase housing supply by removing barriers. The purpose of the funding is to contribute to housing solutions such as capacity-building, amending the City’s Development Regulations to promote densification, and improving internal processes and policies that accelerate the development of diverse housing types throughout St. John’s. The proposed text amendment will help achieve these goals. The proposed changes to the Development Regulations generally include:

  • Remove the Pocket Neighbourhood (PN) Zone and add Pocket Neighbourhood as a Discretionary Use to the Residential 2 (R2), Residential 3 (R3), Residential Downtown (RD), and Residential Mixed (RM) Zones. Set use standards for Pocket Neighbourhoods in each zone.
  • Add Triplex as a Permitted Use to the R2 Zone, R3 Zone, RD Zone, RM Zone, Apartment 1 (A1) Zone and Apartment 2 (A2) Zone. Set use standards in each zone.
  • Add Four-Plex as a Permitted Use to the R2 Zone, RD Zone, RM Zone and A1 Zone. Add Four-Plex on a Corner Lot as a Permitted Use to the Residential 1 (R1) Zone. Add Four-Plex use standards to each zone.
  • Add Tiny Home Dwelling to R2 Zone and RM Zone and set use standards.
  • Allow Backyard Suites (a dwelling unit in the backyard of a residential lot) in various residential zones. A Backyard Suite will require a minimum of one parking space.
  • Allow two Subsidiary Dwelling Units in Single Detached Dwellings, and one Subsidiary Dwelling Unit in Semi-Detached Dwellings or Townhouses.
  • Create a new Cluster Development use to allow multiple buildings (Townhouse, Triplex, Four-Plex or Apartment Building) on one lot and set use standards in each zone. Cluster Development will be added to any zones that permit Apartment Building.
  • Move Apartment Building, maximum 6 dwelling units, from a Discretionary Use to a Permitted Use in the R2, R3, RD and RM Zones.
  • Increase the maximum building height for:
    1. Single Detached Dwellings from 8m to 9m
    2. Semi-detached Dwellings and Four-Plexes from 8m to 10m.
    3. Apartment Buildings from 12m to 14m in the A1 Zone and from 40m to 52m in the Apartment 3 (A3) Zone.

The full amendment is also available for review.

Review the materials on this page and ask a question or provide your feedback.

Return to Planning St. John's main page.


The federal government created the $4 billion Housing Accelerator Fund to spur municipalities to help foster more housing. On March 14, 2024, Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) announced that the City has been allocated over $10.4 million in federal funding through the Housing Accelerator Fund to stimulate housing growth.

CMHC’s Housing Accelerator Fund helps increase housing supply by removing barriers. The purpose of the funding is to contribute to housing solutions such as capacity-building, amending the City’s Development Regulations to promote densification, and improving internal processes and policies that accelerate the development of diverse housing types throughout St. John’s. The proposed text amendment will help achieve these goals. The proposed changes to the Development Regulations generally include:

  • Remove the Pocket Neighbourhood (PN) Zone and add Pocket Neighbourhood as a Discretionary Use to the Residential 2 (R2), Residential 3 (R3), Residential Downtown (RD), and Residential Mixed (RM) Zones. Set use standards for Pocket Neighbourhoods in each zone.
  • Add Triplex as a Permitted Use to the R2 Zone, R3 Zone, RD Zone, RM Zone, Apartment 1 (A1) Zone and Apartment 2 (A2) Zone. Set use standards in each zone.
  • Add Four-Plex as a Permitted Use to the R2 Zone, RD Zone, RM Zone and A1 Zone. Add Four-Plex on a Corner Lot as a Permitted Use to the Residential 1 (R1) Zone. Add Four-Plex use standards to each zone.
  • Add Tiny Home Dwelling to R2 Zone and RM Zone and set use standards.
  • Allow Backyard Suites (a dwelling unit in the backyard of a residential lot) in various residential zones. A Backyard Suite will require a minimum of one parking space.
  • Allow two Subsidiary Dwelling Units in Single Detached Dwellings, and one Subsidiary Dwelling Unit in Semi-Detached Dwellings or Townhouses.
  • Create a new Cluster Development use to allow multiple buildings (Townhouse, Triplex, Four-Plex or Apartment Building) on one lot and set use standards in each zone. Cluster Development will be added to any zones that permit Apartment Building.
  • Move Apartment Building, maximum 6 dwelling units, from a Discretionary Use to a Permitted Use in the R2, R3, RD and RM Zones.
  • Increase the maximum building height for:
    1. Single Detached Dwellings from 8m to 9m
    2. Semi-detached Dwellings and Four-Plexes from 8m to 10m.
    3. Apartment Buildings from 12m to 14m in the A1 Zone and from 40m to 52m in the Apartment 3 (A3) Zone.

The full amendment is also available for review.

Review the materials on this page and ask a question or provide your feedback.

Return to Planning St. John's main page.