Ensuring new development contributes to the community
The Community Benefit Bonus (CBB) bylaw delivers important community benefits by allowing the City to approve additional residential height in exchange for builders providing community benefits and/or cash-in-lieu.
The bylaw permits the following community benefits to be delivered throughout Burnaby:
- Child care facilities
- Community Benefit Bonus housing
- Additional improvements to parks, open spaces or plazas
- Heritage retention/preservation
- Civic facilities
- Social service centres such as neighbourhood houses and community resource centres
- Major environmental improvements
The bylaw has a methodology to calculate the community benefit bonus requirements for housing and amenities, including cash-in-lieu options. This ensures new developments that have additional height are contributing to the City's amenity inventory and non-market housing stock.
The City updated the Community Benefit Bonus policy and bylaw in 2025, in response to changes to the Province’s Local Government Act. This update simplifies processes and aligns with new provincial legislation. It also aligns with City initiatives such as the height-based development framework, the Official Community Plan update, the Rezoning Bylaw Rewrite and the Development Approvals Process.
The CBB bylaw is implemented through Schedule XII of the Burnaby Zoning Bylaw.
CBB rates
The value of the community benefit or cash-in-lieu provided is determined by two sets of rates:
- Community Benefit Rates (CBR)
- Capital Cost Rates (CCR)
The CBR and CCR values will be updated annually and can be found in the CBB Bylaw, Sections 1200.3 (1) and (3). These rates may be changed within the one-year period if substantial market shifts occur and updates are deemed necessary. Otherwise, they are set and posted publicly to provide transparency, certainty, and equity to all applicants in an effort to support applicants in advancing their projects and expedite timelines. Rates are Council adopted values, available up-front, and the same rates apply to all similar applications.
| Zoning District | NW Quadrant | NE Quadrant | SW Quadrant | SE Quadrant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| R6 Market Strata | $1,615 / sq.m. ($150 / sq.ft) |
$1,507 / sq.m. ($140 / sq.ft) |
$1,992 / sq.m. ($185 / sq.ft) |
$1,507 / sq.m. ($140 / sq.ft) |
| R6 Market Rental | $1,217 / sq.m. ($113 / sq.ft) |
$1,131 / sq.m. ($105 / sq.ft) |
$1,594 / sq.m. ($148 / sq.ft) |
$1,131 / sq.m. ($105 / sq.ft) |
| R7 Market Strata | $1,615 / sq.m. ($150 / sq.ft) |
$1,507 / sq.m. ($140 / sq.ft) |
$1,992 / sq.m. ($185 / sq.ft) |
$1,507 / sq.m. ($140 / sq.ft) |
| R7 Market Rental | $1,217 / sq.m. ($113 / sq.ft) |
$1,131 / sq.m. ($105 / sq.ft) |
$1,594 / sq.m. ($148 / sq.ft) |
$1,131 / sq.m. ($105 / sq.ft) |
| R8 Market Strata | $1,615 / sq.m. ($150 / sq.ft) |
$1,507 / sq.m. ($140 / sq.ft) |
$1,992 / sq.m. ($185 / sq.ft) |
$1,507 / sq.m. ($140 / sq.ft) |
| R8 Market Rental | $1,217 / sq.m. ($113 / sq.ft) |
$1,131 / sq.m. ($105 / sq.ft) |
$1,594 / sq.m. ($148 / sq.ft) |
$1,131 / sq.m. ($105 / sq.ft) |
| Category | Civic Amenity Type | CCR |
|---|---|---|
| Category 1 | Civic facilities | $16,231.98 per sq.m. ($1,508 per sq.ft.) |
| Category 2 | Social service centres and child care facilities | $9,988.881 per sq.m. ($928 per sq.ft.) |
| Category 3 | Community benefit bonus housing | $6,727.44 per sq.m. ($625 per sq.ft.) |
CBB housing reserve fund
In exchange for additional residential height, 10% of the additional residential units being built must be constructed as on-site CBB Housing (non-market housing units) or provided as a cash-in-lieu contribution. The applicant may choose which option they provide (cash or on-site housing). Cash-in-lieu payments will be held in a statutory reserve fund in accordance with the Community Charter. These funds will be available to support eligible affordable housing projects undertaken by the City.
CBB amenities reserve fund
Once the CBB Housing cash-in-lieu or on-site provision details are determined, the remaining CBB amenity provisions are determined. Again, applicants may select to provide an on-site amenity or provide a cash contribution instead. Should an applicant opt to provide an amenity, the City will work with the applicant to determine the desired amenity. If cash-in-lieu contributions are received, the funds are held in a separate statutory reserve fund in accordance with the Community Charter. These funds are then available to support applicable amenity projects undertaken by the City.