The question is never just how many. It is how well.
SSMUH explained
No jargon, no sales pitch. What the province changed, what Port Moody adopted, and how to tell what applies to your lot.
The definition
SSMUH stands for small-scale multi-unit housing. It is the name for a 2023 provincial law, BC Bill 44, that requires most BC cities to allow more than one home on lots that used to permit only a single house or a duplex.
In practice, it legalised duplexes, triplexes, fourplexes, and small six-unit buildings on ordinary residential lots, and it did so by permit rather than by rezoning. That last part matters: there is no public hearing to win. If a project meets the rules, the City processes it like any building permit.
Bill 44 is formally the Housing Statutes (Residential Development) Amendment Act, 2023. Local governments had until June 30, 2024 to bring their bylaws in line. Port Moody adopted its SSMUH zoning on June 25, 2024.
The rules
| Your lot | Homes allowed in Port Moody |
|---|---|
| Under 280 m² | Up to 3 units |
| 280 m² to 4,050 m² | Up to 4 units |
| 280 m² to 4,050 m², within 400 m of frequent transit | Up to 6 units |
Port Moody Zoning Bylaw Amendment No. 3460, adopted June 25, 2024, under BC Bill 44. "Frequent transit" means bus service roughly every 15 minutes. Confirm your specific lot with the City of Port Moody.
Two laws, not one
Applies to ordinary residential lots across the city. Three to six homes, ground-oriented, on a permit path. This is what this site is mostly about.
Applies only near the SkyTrain. Port Moody has two transit-oriented areas, around Moody Centre and Inlet Centre stations, where much taller apartment forms are allowed, up to 20 storeys closest to the platform. A lot is governed by one framework or the other, not both.
Bill 47 is the Housing Statutes (Transit-Oriented Areas) Amendment Act, 2023. See the City's transit-oriented areas page.
The question is never just how many. It is how well.
The forms
Two homes side by side or up and down. The gentlest step, and possible on nearly every lot.
Three homes, often a main house plus two. A common fit for standard Port Moody lots.
Four homes on lots over 280 m². The most common SSMUH outcome across the city.
Up to six homes on qualifying lots within 400 m of frequent transit. The densest ground-oriented form.
Still have questions
Our FAQ answers the practical questions honestly, including the ones that make a project not worth doing.
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A feasibility study reads your exact lot against the current bylaw, transit distance included. No cost, reviewed personally.