More Housing Options in College Hill

Development & Growth in Fredericton

Housing is a big challenge in our community.

Fredericton is experiencing significant residential growth with record levels of housing construction. The Fredericton Metropolitan Area is Canada’s 9^th fastest growing urban region and the City’s population increased by almost 3,000 over the past year alone. On a per-capita basis, Fredericton ranks 14^th in all of Canada in terms of new housing built since 2017.

Permits for more than 3,800 new residential units have been issued in our City in the last 5 years, yet Fredericton's rental vacancy rate remains below 1%, finding housing has become increasingly difficult.

The City’s 2022 Affordable Housing Strategy recommends that Council pursue zoning reform to create additional opportunities for housing throughout the City, helping ensure everyone has a place to call home.

The City manages growth and development through the Growth Strategy, the Municipal Plan, and the Zoning By-law. Most of our new residential development is planned to occur in our Urban Core on both sides of the river and Residential Growth Areas in new neighbourhoods such as the Cliffe Street area and the lands south of Bishop Drive. Cities, however, are constantly evolving and our Growth Strategy and Municipal Plan encourage new housing in existing neighbourhoods that is sensitively integrated. The rules that guide that new development are set out in the City’s Zoning By-law.

Providing greater flexibility with by-law amendments for increased density in neighbourhoods throughout the City allows for continued growth and increased housing availability. The City is also in the process of updating its Housing Needs Assessment, which outlines the ongoing housing challenge and significant need for more housing across the city.

College Hill Neighbourhood

The existing College Hill Secondary Plan was established in 1994, over 30 years ago, and was a response to neighbourhood concerns over non-owner occupied homes. The plan significantly restricted permitted uses and established four policy areas. It is now 2025 and the City has seen significant growth, has significant development pressures, and has more current policy direction from the Growth Strategy, Municipal Plan, and Affordable Housing Strategy. Significant growth is anticipated within the Urban Core and New Neighbourhood Areas, but main corridors in existing neighbourhoods, and in the case of College Hill areas adjacent to the universities and colleges, represent opportunities to provide more housing options and additional density.

The policies within the College Hill Secondary Plan are considered outdated and staff are reviewing the overall area to explore opportunities to allow for more housing options and have the policies for the neighbourhood consistent with the Growth Strategy and Municipal Plan.

More Housing Options

Today, there is increased pressure to provide more housing options near the post-secondary institutions, particularly for the student population. With the current College Hill Secondary Plan limiting the permitted uses to single or two-unit dwellings, the plan does not allow for more multi-residential options to help address the need for housing.

The proposal being advanced aims to provide more housing options in the College Hill Neighbourhood by shifting density to more appropriate areas and alleviating pressure on the surrounding neighbourhoods.

The proposal includes:

• Repeal of the College Hill Secondary Municipal Plan
• Municipal Plan Amendments:
  1. 1) to permit additional density and a greater variety of housing types in areas near the campuses of the universities and colleges.
  2. 2) new policy framework for the lands on the top of the hill bounded by Regent Street, Priestman Street, Route 8 and Montgomery Street – encouraging the area to transition from industrial uses towards a comprehensively planned mixed-use neighbourhood that connects the campuses of the universities and colleges with the health services campus.
• Several specific rezonings to enable housing density on key corridors

Specific details on the proposed amendments to the Municipal Plan (Z-6.9) are available here: https://www.fredericton.ca/sites/default/files/2025-04/By-law%20No%20Z-6.9%20Arrete%20No%20Z-6.9_1.pdf

Specific details and mapping on the proposed rezonings will be available shortly, but the following corridors are being considered for greater housing density:

• east side of Regent Street (between Montgomery Street and Kings College Road)
• north side of Montgomery Street
• Windsor Street
• Kings College Road (between Hanson Street and Windsor Street)
• Graham Street

Why Now?

The City of Fredericton has accepted funding from the Government of Canada Housing Accelerator Fund (HAF). Among the requirements for HAF is the need for the City to adopt Zoning By-law amendments that would allow for additional density near the post-secondary institutions. In addition to the HAF requirements, the implementation of the City’s Affordable Housing Strategy has necessitated the proposal to repeal the College Hill Secondary Plan and review the area for opportunities to provide more housing and greater zoning flexibility.

How will my input be considered in the process?

There are many inputs to decision making through the process including input from City staff, elected officials, property owners, residents and business operators. The City will be conducting a neighbourhood open house on May 6 where further information will be available and the public will be able to provide any comments. Staff will prepare a "What We Heard Report" that would become part of the staff report that gets forwarded to the Planning Advisory Committee and Council. Following the open house, the proposed amendments would be advanced through the standard planning approval process where the public would be able to provide any comments to the Planning Advisory Committee and Council at the Public Hearing.