Scaling Middle Housing in B.C.
Unlocking multi-unit potential and de-risking rental development on single-family lots.
Project Overview
Updated February 10, 2026.
The Problem
Over the past few decades, many municipalities have moved away from single-detached housing in favour of ground-oriented multi-unit housing, often referred to as the “missing middle”. While modular housing development has successfully improved labour efficiency, accelerated delivery and reduced costs for larger multi-family projects; its application on single-family lots remains largely unexplored.
How We Are Solving It
Led by mddl, this project builds on a successful pilot to create an easy-to-use planning and financial tool that helps cities support more “middle housing” in existing neighbourhoods. The platform will be tailored for use by municipalities in Vernon and Burnaby. The project will deliver an interactive GIS lot identification and mapping tool that brings together local zoning rules, lot sizes, property slope and transit proximity while at the same time evaluating a lot’s suitability for a middle housing project. The GIS lot identification tool is also integrated with REALTOR.ca allowing a user to search and identify lots for sale.
The project also expands mddl’s financial pro‑forma tool, by incorporating local development costs, land values, zoning requirements, and available municipal incentives. This allows users to quickly understand whether a proposed project is financially viable.
Together, these tools are designed to lower risk for housing projects, support better planning decisions, and speed up the delivery of much-needed middle housing in urban communities.
