Surrey council considers 748-unit affordable rental project in City Centre at November 9 land use meeting
Surrey council is considering a phased affordable rental development at 9883 - 140 Street in City Centre: two towers of 35 and 39 storeys with 748 units, nearly all secured as non-market rental for 60 years, with a public hearing set for November 23.
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Surrey council sits tonight at 4:30 p.m. for its November 9 land use meeting, and on the agenda is one of the largest affordable rental housing proposals the City has considered: a 748-unit development by Entre Nous Femmes Housing Society at 9883 - 140 Street in City Centre. If council gives the application the readings it needs tonight, a public hearing would follow on November 23, 2026.
What the project proposes
Entre Nous Femmes Housing Society wants to redevelop its existing Jessica Place property, which currently holds 40 townhomes, into two high-rise towers with 748 mixed-income affordable rental units. The application numbers are 7925-0226-00 and 7925-0226-01, according to the City's agenda.
Phase 1 would be a 35-storey tower on Block 1 of the site with 327 units. Under the conditions the City's Planning and Development Department has set, a minimum of 40 of those units would be secured as below-market rental and the remaining 287 as non-market rental, both for a period of 60 years. Phase 2 would be a 39-storey tower on Block 2 with 421 units, all secured as non-market rental for 60 years.
Together the two phases total 748 units. All 748 would be secured through Housing Agreements between the applicant and the City before final approval.
The agent for the application is M'akola Development Services, represented by K. Waller. M'akola is a development services arm that works with affordable housing providers in BC. The site is at 9883 - 140 Street, in the City Centre area of Surrey.
What council is asked to do tonight
Council is not voting on final approval tonight. The Planning and Development Department recommends three steps at the November 9 meeting:
First, that three bylaws receive first and second reading. Bylaw 22156 is an amendment to Surrey's Official Community Plan to change the land use designation on both blocks from Mid-Rise I to High-Rise I. Bylaw 22157 would rezone Block 1 and Block 3 from Low-Rise (4 Storey) Apartment Zone (MR6) to Comprehensive Development Zone (CD). Bylaw 22158 would rezone Block 2 from MR6 to City Centre High-Rise Apartment Zone (MR10).
Second, that staff be authorized to draft a General Development Permit for the entire site and a Detailed Development Permit for Phase 1 (Block 1), in line with the attached drawings.
Third, that the public hearing be set for Monday, November 23, 2026 at 7:00 p.m. in Council Chambers at Surrey City Hall.
Final adoption of the rezoning and OCP amendment bylaws can only happen after the public hearing.
Who Entre Nous Femmes is
Entre Nous Femmes Housing Society has operated in the Lower Mainland since 1984. Its own website describes it as a not-for-profit housing organization that provides more than 500 affordable rental homes across 13 properties in Burnaby, New Westminster, North Vancouver, Vancouver and Surrey, and serves more than 1,200 low-income women, children, single-parent families, seniors and people with disabilities.
Jessica Place is the society's existing property at this address. The ENF website says current residents at the townhomes will need to relocate temporarily during construction, and that the organization has committed to providing moving and financial compensation, priority access to future vacancies elsewhere in the society's portfolio, the right to return to the new buildings once complete, and support from a dedicated relocation team.
The ENF website gives a construction start of Summer 2027 and an occupancy date of Summer 2030 for the project, though it notes both are subject to change pending City approval.
What the site will include
Beyond the 748 residential units, the agenda outlines several public-benefit requirements. A pedestrian connection to the Quibble Creek Greenway must be registered along the northern boundary of Block 2. A publicly accessible corner plaza must be included within the site. Access easements and rights-of-way for public passage are also required before the city can grant final approval.
The site is in City Centre, within walking distance of the King George SkyTrain station. The area is one of the highest-density parts of Surrey, and the City's OCP already envisions high-rise residential in the surrounding blocks.
The difference between below-market and non-market rental
The agenda distinguishes between two types of affordable units in Phase 1. Below-market rental means rents set below what a private landlord would charge on the open market. Non-market rental goes further: rents are set at a level a low-income household can afford, typically geared to a share of income, and the housing is managed by a non-profit or government body. BC Housing oversees both types of programs across British Columbia.
All 421 units in Phase 2 and 287 of the 327 units in Phase 1 would be non-market rental. The remaining 40 units in Phase 1 would be below-market rental. All 748 units across both phases would be rental, with no ownership units proposed.
How to follow or speak to the project
The public hearing on November 23, 2026 at 7:00 p.m. is open to the public. Anyone can speak in support of or against the OCP amendment and the rezoning bylaws before council votes on final adoption. The hearing will be in Council Chambers at Surrey City Hall, 13450 - 104 Avenue.
Council meeting agendas and minutes are posted on the City of Surrey website after each meeting. Mayor Doug McCallum chairs Surrey City Council, which also includes Councillors Mandeep Singh Nagra, Suhana Gill, Meera Gill, Cheney Cloke, Harry Bains, Doug Elford, Laurie Guerra and Allison Patton. A simple majority approves a bylaw reading.
The Surrey promise tracker records Mayor McCallum's election commitments, including a new women's and children's hospital in Newton and a housing-related Farm Local Plan. The affordable rental project at 9883 - 140 Street is not tied to those commitments directly, but the volume of rental housing it would add to City Centre bears on the city's overall housing supply.
Questions this story answers
What is being proposed at 9883 - 140 Street in Surrey?
Entre Nous Femmes Housing Society has applied to redevelop its Jessica Place property in Surrey City Centre with two high-rise buildings of 35 and 39 storeys and 748 mixed-income affordable rental units. The City of Surrey's November 9 land use agenda shows the application numbers are 7925-0226-00 and 7925-0226-01.
How many affordable units would the project include?
The project would include 748 units in total. Phase 1, in a 35-storey tower, would have 327 units, with a minimum of 40 as below-market rental and 287 as non-market rental secured for 60 years. Phase 2, in a 39-storey tower, would have 421 units, all non-market rental for 60 years, according to the City's agenda.
What is the difference between below-market and non-market rental?
In BC, below-market rental means rents set below what the private market charges, but tenants typically still pay a share of their income. Non-market rental goes further: rents are geared to income or set at a level a low-income household can afford, and are managed by a non-profit or government body. BC Housing, the provincial housing agency, oversees both types of programs across British Columbia.
What is Entre Nous Femmes Housing Society?
Entre Nous Femmes Housing Society is a not-for-profit housing organization that has operated in the Lower Mainland since 1984. Its own website says it currently provides more than 500 affordable rental homes across 13 properties in Burnaby, New Westminster, North Vancouver, Vancouver and Surrey, and serves over 1,200 low-income women, children, single-parent families, seniors and people with disabilities.
What is happening on the site today?
The site currently holds 40 townhomes operated by Entre Nous Femmes Housing Society as Jessica Place. The ENF website says current residents will need to relocate temporarily during construction and have been offered moving and financial support, priority access to future vacancies, and the right to return to the completed buildings.
When is the public hearing?
The City of Surrey's November 9 land use agenda shows the public hearing is set for Monday, November 23, 2026 at 7:00 p.m. in Council Chambers at Surrey City Hall. The public hearing would need to take place before council votes on the rezoning bylaws.
What bylaws are before council tonight?
Three bylaws are on the November 9 land use agenda for first and second reading: Bylaw 22156, which is the OCP amendment from Mid-Rise I to High-Rise I; Bylaw 22157, which rezones Block 1 and Block 3 from Low-Rise (4 Storey) Apartment Zone (MR6) to Comprehensive Development Zone (CD); and Bylaw 22158, which rezones Block 2 from MR6 to City Centre High-Rise Apartment Zone (MR10).
When could construction begin?
The ENF website lists an anticipated construction start of Summer 2027 and an anticipated occupancy of Summer 2030, though it notes the timeline is subject to change pending City of Surrey approval. The Vancity Affordable Housing Accelerator Fund lists the project as currently in pre-development, with completion targeted for 2030. Council's approval of first and second reading tonight would be one step in a process that also requires a public hearing on November 23, final adoption of the rezoning bylaws, and satisfaction of a list of conditions the City has set.
How can Surrey residents speak to the project?
The public hearing on November 23, 2026 at 7:00 p.m. in Surrey City Hall Council Chambers is open to the public. Residents can speak for or against the rezoning and OCP amendment before council votes on final adoption.
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