The RDN Electoral Area Services Committee unanimously endors…

The RDN Electoral Area Services Committee unanimously endorsed the proposed Rural Housing Strategy Framework and Public Engagement Plan at its May 7, 2026, meeting, directing staff to proceed with data collection, community engagement, and development of a rural-specific housing strategy. The framework sets the foundation for a strategy that will eventually guide housing policy across RDN’s electoral areas, where lot patterns, servicing constraints, and affordability pressures differ substantially from the region’s urban centres.

The endorsement is procedural at this stage — no zoning or OCP amendments are triggered — but it commits the regional district to a multi-phase engagement process with future reporting back to the committee. The next expected milestones are the public engagement rollout and subsequent presentation of findings to the committee, likely before year-end.

An Official Community Plan amendment application for an undisclosed address in the Regional District of Nanaimo was approved unanimously by Council on May 7, 2026. The applicant sought the amendment.