B.C. releases housing targets for 10 municipalities

SAANICH, B.C. – The Government of B.C. has released housing targets for the first 10 municipalities as part of the Housing Supply Act.

The first 10 municipalities were selected for housing target assessment in May under the authority of the Housing Supply Act, which allows the province to set housing targets in communities with the most urgent need, a release stated.

The provincial government consulted with the selected municipalities during the summer to set the final housing target orders and these housing targets are net new units to be completed within five years.

The target orders for each municipality are:

• City of Abbotsford – 7,240 housing units
• City of Delta – 3,607 housing units
• City of Kamloops – 4,236 housing units
• District of North Vancouver – 2,838 housing units
• District of Oak Bay – 664 housing units
• City of Port Moody – 1,694 housing units
• District of Saanich – 4,610 housing units
• City of Vancouver – 28,900 housing units
• City of Victoria – 4,902 housing units
• District of West Vancouver – 1,432 housing units

“The housing crisis is hurting people, holding back our economy and impacting the services we all count on. We’re taking action and working with municipal partners to make sure more homes are built in communities with the greatest housing need. The targets include thousands of below-market rental units for the largest and fastest-growing communities. This means more people will be able find a home in the community they love,” said B.C. Minister of Housing Ravi Kahlon.

To support implementation the B.C. government will continue to provide local governments with resources to speed up approval processes, including $10 million for continued implementation of the Development Approvals Process Review, and streamlining provincial permitting across multiple ministries as well as developing a new digital permitting process, the release said.

The province has also sent each of the municipalities a list of housing target guidelines, including a recommended number of units by size (one bedroom, two-bedroom, three-bedroom), rental versus owned units, below-market rental units and units with onsite supports, the release said.

A second cohort of eight to 10 municipalities will be selected and notified in late 2023.