February 21st, 2024

When B.C. Premier David Eby announced the Housing Supply Act (HSA),  just three days after he became Premier in 2022, UDI was encouraged. Even though we knew that this was only one of many steps that could help get more housing built faster in B.C., we were optimistic.

The HSA put B.C.’s housing needs front and center, where we believe they should be. This is something we have spent years advocating for, and it places a critical challenge before municipalities that were given targets. They have been tasked with clearing the path to increase housing development in step with their growing populations.

As we head into the last weeks of February, we expect the Ministry of Housing to announce the next 10 communities soon and pose the same challenge to a new group of municipalities.

What is the Housing Supply Act?

The HSA gives the provincial government the authority to set housing targets and hold municipalities accountable to them. 

The Province used an economic metric to prioritize municipalities where the need for more housing supply was greatest. Ten municipalities were announced in May 2023 and were given a performance-based target to streamline development and deliver more housing using the methods that make the most sense in their communities.

Specifically, the targets developed in consultation with the municipalities are to reach 75 percent of their provincially-determined housing needs.

The Ministry of Housing has acknowledged that these will be a stretch, but are still intended to be achievable.

This is a separate initiative from Bills 44, 46, and 47, but they are connected through a broader housing strategy – the Province’s Homes for People Plan.

Each initiative runs on a separate timeline; with Bills 44, 46, and 47 setting 20-year targets, and the HSA aiming for five-year targets.

However, municipalities accelerating housing through the actions highlighted in Bills 44, 46, and 47 will already be taking steps to meet their housing needs and be well-positioned if HSA targets are set.

We learned a few things from the first 10 municipalities selected in 2023:

• Municipalities were chosen based on the greatest housing need: i.e., fast-growing, high housing demand/low availability, and low supply of new housing.
• The Province worked collaboratively with the municipalities to establish their targets.
• This is not a punitive process. Provincial accountability measures mean regular monitoring and steps to help municipalities get back on track if they are not meeting interim targets.

The Ministry of Housing has also approved a broader list of future potential municipalities that could receive targets, and UDI expects the next cohort could be selected from this list.

The big takeaway for us is that this initiative indicates a shift in focus—that recognizes we are in a housing crisis and it will take collaboration from all levels of government to solve it.

UDI has an important role in the next steps too, and our lines of communication with municipalities are open through liaison committees and dedicated policy engagements.

We will keep those channels open, and we need you to do the same with us.

When you face roadblocks with a project, tell us about it. Help us understand the pain points so we can work with municipalities to try to get everyone on the same page.

Thank you for being part of the solution.

Sincerely,

Anne and the UDI Team