What Bill 16 Does — and What It Does Not

Bill 16 is the Province of B.C.’s Housing Statutes Amendment Act, 2024. It gave municipalities new optional tools after Bill 44 pre-zoned more land for housing. It does not itself rezone a Delta lot to 3, 4, or 6 units. That framework comes from Bill 44 and Bill 25.

What it added

• Inclusionary zoning — a municipality may adopt a bylaw requiring a share of new residential units to be affordable or special-needs housing. It must consult and complete a financial feasibility analysis first. Cash-in-lieu or units on another site can be allowed.
• Density bonus updates — extra density in exchange for amenities or affordable housing, with clearer rules, consultation, financial analysis, and reporting.
• Site works and transportation demand management — stronger authority to require on-site works (for example sidewalks or bike facilities) and TDM measures as part of development.
• Tenant protection bylaws — municipalities may require support for tenants displaced by redevelopment (assistance, help finding housing, right of first refusal in some cases).

What it does not do

• It does not force Delta to adopt inclusionary zoning. The tool exists; Council has to pass a bylaw to use it.
• It does not replace Bill 44 / Bill 25 unit-count rules on restricted lots.
• It does not decide trees, lot yield, or whether an OCP amendment is required on a named file.
• Amenity charges and cash-in-lieu only apply if Delta has adopted the matching bylaws.

Useful question when “Bill 16” is mentioned: has Delta actually adopted an inclusionary-zoning, density-bonus, or tenant-protection bylaw under this Act — and if so, which one?

How the three housing bills fit

• Bill 44 (2023) — SSMUH unit minimums and some zoning hearing limits.
• Bill 25 (2025) — tighter SSMUH implementation and restricted-zone definition; compliance date June 30, 2026.
• Bill 16 (2024) — optional municipal tools for affordability, amenities, site works, and tenants.

Sources

• Province of B.C. — New local government tools
• UBCM — Bill 16 overview
• Bill 16 — Housing Statutes Amendment Act, 2024

General public information, not legal advice. Confirm whether Delta has adopted any Bill 16 bylaws before applying this to a specific project.