Facts & Information

Fredericton is growing fast, with over 3,100 new residents and 3,800 new homes built in the last five years alone! As our city expands, so does the need for more housing — especially affordable housing. 🏡

The Government of Canada is requiring every Canadian municipality with a population over 30,000 to allow up to four residential units on a serviced residential property by right. This change is required for Fredericton to qualify for current and future federal housing and infrastructure funding. 

To address this, the City of Fredericton is considering changes to the Zoning By-law, which would allow up to four units on fully serviced residential properties. This gentle, homeowner-friendly approach will help Fredericton continue to grow in a way that offers a broad range of solutions to address the housing crisis.

We understand there’s been a lot of discussion and some misinformation circulating about secondary dwelling units. Let’s clear the air with some key facts:

Here's what you need to know:

👉 Four units will not be allowed on all properties. To add extra dwelling units, minimum requirements for frontage, lot size, lot coverage, and parking must be met.

👉 Unlike other New Brunswick municipalities, Fredericton will not allow triplexes or fourplexes on suburban residential lots. New units must be part of the existing home, an addition, a backyard garden suite, or a garage apartment.

👉 Secondary units must be small (max 75m²) and meet specific criteria like sharing water and sewer lines with the main house.

👉 If more than one secondary unit is added, the property must be owner-occupied at the time the new units are created.

Benefits of these changes:

✅ Supporting Multi-Generational Living – Keep family close while maintaining privacy and independence. Secondary suites are a great option for aging parents, adult children, or extended family members.

✅ Providing a Mortgage Helper – A basement apartment or backyard suite can generate rental income, helping to make homeownership more affordable.

✅ Providing More Affordable Housing – Smaller accessory units are less expensive to create.  These savings are passed on to residents in the units.  

Your feedback from the open houses and Engage Fredericton has already shaped the staff report, including owner-occupancy rules for multiple units and changes to parking.