B.C. to set housing goals for 10 major communities under new housing act
The B.C. government will set housing targets for 10 major communities on Vancouver Island and the Lower Mainland in an effort to combat the province's housing shortage.
The 10 communities, centred around Greater Victoria and Metro Vancouver, were chosen using an "empirical index" that was created by the province while working with economists and housing experts.
"The index relies on measures that prioritize the urgency of local housing needs, the availability of the right housing supply – including land availability and unrealized potential for more homes, and housing affordability," said the province in a release Wednesday.
The 10 communities selected by the province are:
- City of Abbotsford
- City of Delta
- City of Kamloops
- District North Vancouver
- District of Oak Bay
- City of Port Moody
- District of Saanich
- City of Vancouver
- City of Victoria
- District of West Vancouver
The province says it's still working on exact housing targets for each community, and will work with the selected municipalities to set the final housing goals.
Once the targets are chosen over the summer, the province says it will support the municipalities in reaching their goals.
Only as a last resort will the province compel municipalities, through directives or orders, to reach their housing targets, under the NDP government's new Housing Supply Act, which was introduced earlier this year.
"The housing challenges we see today aren't just limited to one municipality, they impact our region and province as a whole," said Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim in a statement Wednesday.
"It's great to see the provincial government taking an increased leadership role in ensuring the delivery of more housing across the province," he said.
"In the last six months, Vancouver has made significant headway in breaking down longstanding barriers to housing approval and construction. We hope our progress can inspire other communities across British Columbia to take bold action on housing."
The province says it plans to select a second cohort of eight to 10 municipalities for another round of housing targets in late 2023.
"The announcement today ensures that housing supply gets approved quickly in communities where we need it most," said Jill Atkey, CEO of the BC Non-Profit Housing Association.
"What’s more, it goes beyond supply by considering local incomes and setting targets for affordable housing and couldn’t come at a more critical time," she said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Orca calf that was trapped in B.C. lagoon for weeks swims free
An orca whale calf that has been stranded in a B.C. lagoon for weeks after her pregnant mother died swam out on her own early Friday morning.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
Powerful tornado tears across Nebraska, weather service warns of 'catastrophic' damage
Devastating tornadoes tore across parts of eastern Nebraska and northeast Texas Friday as a multi-day severe thunderstorm event ramped up in the central United States, injuring at least three people.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Trump's lawyers try to discredit testimony of prosecution's first witness in hush money trial
Donald Trump's defence team attacked the credibility Friday of the prosecution's first witness in his hush money case, seeking to discredit testimony detailing a scheme between Trump and a tabloid to bury negative stories to protect the Republican's 2016 presidential campaign.