B.C. fall legislative session focuses on housing

VICTORIA – The Government of British Columbia is highlighting housing as one of the main focuses of the upcoming fall legislative session.

The provincial government will introduce housing legislation that “aims to address persistent permitting and zoning challenges, speed up delivery and increase the supply of middle-income housing,” a release said.

The housing bills for the fall session are part of the province’s Homes for People action plan, announced in spring 2023 which commits $4 billion over the next three years and a commitment of a $12 billion investment over the next 10 years

According to the release, legislation and housing actions for the fall include:

• Delivering more small-scale, multi-unit housing including townhomes, duplexes and triplexes through zoning changes and proactive partnerships;
• allowing secondary and basement suites in every community in B.C.;
• strengthening enforcement of short-term rentals and bringing more long-term rentals back to the housing market;
• speeding up municipal and provincial permitting to reduce costs, remove unnecessary delays and deliver more homes faster; and
• delivering thousands of new homes in areas well-served by transit and creating more communities with services near transit hubs.

Other legislation to be introduced will improve emergency management, support victims of crime, update international credentialling so more people can work in their chosen field, and further advance reconciliation with Indigenous people, the release said.