BC Municipalities Are Behind Housing Supply Benchmarks, Analysis Shows
(Image courtesy of CBC)
An analysis of BC housing orders shows that many municipalities are behind schedule on their home building target, sparking concerns about whether they will be able to complete their benchmarks on time.
Cities Not Meeting Their Goals
Passed in 2022, the BC Housing Supply Act gave the province the authority to set housing orders for cities after consultation and discussion with the respective jurisdictions. The province, over the last three years, has created three groups, with group one having the highest need for new homes and group three having the lowest. Group one started work in September 2023, and groups two and three started in mid-2024.
Looking at group one, the last statistics we have are from the first annual report that ran from October 1, 2023, to September 30, 2024. Out of the 10 cities in group one, only three successfully met their target.
Net New Housing Units vs. Target (Group 1)
Examining groups two and three, a similar picture emerges from the interim reports we have so far. While some seem to be on pace to meet their yearly goal, others are slacking far behind, such as Port Coquitlam and White Rock.
Net New Housing Units Vs. Target (Group 2)
Net New Housing Units Vs. Target (Group 3)
Despite Lagging Efforts, Province Continues to Hold Steady
While many municipalities are behind their set goals, the province said municipalities can appease the province so long as they “made satisfactory progress toward meeting their target.” The government does not intend to slow down and will announce a fourth group of cities soon. “I appreciate that these communities in the next group are already making progress in building more housing for people. Setting housing targets allows us to further align with our broader goals as a province,” said Ravi Kahlon, then-Minister of Housing and Municipal Affairs in May 2025. “As we add new communities to the housing targets program to keep up with demand, we will continue to work together with municipalities to make sure more people can find homes that fit their needs and budgets.”
As the Lower Mainland continues to struggle with housing, the province hopes these efforts will enable supply to meet demand.
