The BC government has unveiled the names of 10 communities that have been identified to meet specific housing targets under legislation that was passed late last year.
Ravi Kahlon, minister of housing, announced the first cohort of municipalities for housing targets on Wednesday.
The 10 communities include Abbotsford, Delta, Kamloops, North Vancouver, Oak Bay, Port Moody, Saanich, Vancouver, Victoria and West Vancouver.
The Housing Supply Act gives the province the authority to set housing targets in municipalities in order to encourage local governments address barriers to construction so housing can get built faster, including updating zoning bylaws and streamlining the development approval process.
“The housing crisis is hurting people and holding back our economy, and we’re taking action with our partners to cut red tape and get homes built faster for people. Municipalities are our critical partners in addressing the housing crisis and building healthy, economically viable communities,” said Kahlon.
“Our government is eager to work with this first cohort of municipalities to get shovels in the ground faster and ensure the homes people need get built.”
The housing crisis is hurting people and holding back our economy - we’re taking action to cut red tape and get homes built faster.
— Ravi Kahlon (@KahlonRav) May 31, 2023
Today, we announced the first group of municipalities selected for housing targets as part of the Housing Supply Act.
🧵 [1/3] #bcpoli #vanpoli pic.twitter.com/NX0LR4nHQH
All communities will be encouraged to take the action needed to speed up local processes and many have, says a release.
The act also enables compliance options as a last resort, should municipalities struggle to create the conditions that are necessary to ensure housing gets built.
The province says these 10 communities were selected based on the urgency of local housing needs, the availability of housing supply, including land availability and “unrealized” potential for new homes, and housing affordability.
The province says it will work with each community to set the final housing target.
Once that is set, the Ministry of Housing will monitor progress and work with municipalities to help address any barriers that come up.
A second group of eight to 10 municipalities will be selected and notified in late 2023.
