Abbotsford – (Abborsford Councilor Dave Loewen – Social Media) – On Tuesday June 24, Abbotsford Council approved an amendment to our Official Community Plan “…to enable residential uses in the form of Non-Market Housing on parcels with places of worship within the institutional land use designation.” The amendment will apply to any property within our Urban Development Boundary designated as Institutional.
The applicant is “The Trustees of Gladwin Heights Pastoral Charge of the United Church of Canada”. The applicant’s plans are to construct a six-storey building, accommodating the following uses:
Assembly Use – a space for religious worship for two congregations: United Church and First Methodist (1st floor)
A Childcare Centre – pre-school, day-care and before and after school care (also on 1st floor)
Congregate Care – 12 beds, operated by the MSA Society for Community Living (2nd floor)
Non-Market Housing – rental units for low income Seniors: 64 One bedroom & 4 Studio (3rd to 6th floors)
This is a first for Abbotsford and will likely not be the last, as the City has numerous faith communities occupying sizeable parcels of under-utilized land. This applicant is creating a template for others to duplicate, thus helping the City to meet provincial housing targets and provide much-needed social housing for our aging population.
2025 City of Abbotsford June 24 Agenda
