Emergency Shelter and Supportive Housing Siting Policy

Cowichan Valley Regional District (CVRD) engaged CitySpaces Consulting to develop an Emergency Shelter and Supportive Housing Siting Policy. The policy is intended to inform future temporary use permits (TUPs) and rezoning applications for shelters and low-barrier supportive housing within the CVRD’s municipalities and electoral areas (EAs), and to provide guidance to the CVRD Board and municipal councils seeking to develop public lands for this purpose. The policy seeks to establish criteria for identifying appropriate locations for emergency shelters and low-barrier supportive housing. As part of the project scope, high-level GIS-analysis was completed for Duncan, Ladysmith, North Cowichan, and Lake Cowichan and the electoral areas.

The CVRD Board adopted the Emergency Shelter and Supportive Housing Siting Policy on July 22, 2026. To view the policy including maps visits our documents section.