2025 was a difficult year for British Columbia’s development sector. Costs rose, access to capital tightened, and presales collapsed. These conditions shaped UDI’s advocacy messaging around the economic realities of delivering homes today. 

This Year in Review highlights the work that delivered the greatest value to our membership. We secured practical regulatory changes, advanced alignment across major provincial policy files, delivered DCC payment flexibility, and kept Step Code reform on the agenda. We also strengthened UDI’s role as the sector’s convenor, bringing decision-makers directly to our members. 

Our members know the environment is challenging. This report demonstrates that your association understands the pressure and is acting accordingly. 

Municipal Advocacy 

Our Municipal Liaison Committees remain the backbone of UDI’s advocacy with local governments. The scale and consistency of this program places UDI in the top tier of public affairs operations in British Columbia. 

Key Performance Highlights 

• 69 regular meetings convened for 19 Liaison Committees in 2025
• 352 participating representatives from 151 member companies
• 58 targeted engagement sessions on priority policy issues
• 26 topic-specific sub-committees established to develop actionable policy solutions
• 46 letter submissions reflecting industry feedback and recommendations
• 34 Municipal Policy & Advocacy newsletter updates shared with members 

This is disciplined, high-frequency advocacy that gives members direct access to municipal decision-makers and real-time intelligence on policies that affect project viability. 

Across the region, this work supported reductions in DCCs, expanded access to surety bonds, and helped accelerate a broader recognition that the economics of development are broken. Many municipalities now understand they must adjust if the cost-of-delivery crisis is to be addressed. 

2025 Municipal Wins: A Closer Look 

• Metro Vancouver extended in-stream protection for the recent DCC increase, and agreed to waive DCCs on inclusionary zoning units that are transferred to non-profits.
• City of Surrey rolled back DCC rates to 2023 levels, citing the need to avoid further cost pressure on new housing supply.
• Township of Langley deferred planned DCC increases twice, and has since proposed lower rates than previously contemplated.
• City of Abbotsford adopted new DCC and ACC rates, but delayed implementation until February 1, 2026, acknowledging the downturn in market conditions.
• City of Coquitlam is allowing developers to lock in and pay DCCs at excavation, foundation, or full building permit, reducing exposure to fee increases during permitting.
• Surety bonds are being accepted as an alternative form of security for certain development servicing agreements by multiple municipalities, including Burnaby, Richmond, Surrey, Abbotsford, Maple Ridge, New West, Delta, and Mission.
• Municipalities of Burnaby, Maple Ridge, and Coquitlam implemented Certified Professional programs to help expedite permitting timelines.
• City of Coquitlam slowed its proposed implementation of the Energy Step Code, after UDI’s Liaison Committee developed a cost analysis with Axiom Builders/Edge to quantify cost implications.
• FortisBC acknowledged connection delays in Kelowna, committing to work with industry to resolve the issue.
• City of Surrey made several changes including:
  • Extending their Pilot Program to Streamline Pre-Applications for Development reviews;
  • Implementing streamlining measures for Houseplex Applications;
  • Reducing the required rates for the provision of bicycle parking spaces and dimensions;
  • Implementing amendments to the Surrey Building Bylaw to improve permit processing timelines;
  • Launching the Digital Development Applications Portal that allows for online payments, information for builders on real time status of their projects and contact information of relevant staff;
  • Implementing Secondary Suites in Townhouse Zones; and
  • Establishing an “excavation only” building permit pilot program to enable the excavation of larger multi-family developments to facilitate quicker construction of new homes.
• City of Burnaby made several changes including:
  • Reducing their Inclusionary Zoning requirement; and
  • Implementing a Height-Based Framework that produces more flexibility for builders.
• City of Vancouver made several changes including:
  • A temporary 20% reduction in Development Cost Levies;
  • Reducing Below-Market Rental requirements, including relief for certain low-rise rental forms;
  • Updating apartment regulations to improve clarity, design flexibility, FSR exclusions, unit mix rules, and inboard bedroom flexibility;
  • Piloting an Attainable Home Ownership rezoning policy open to applications through December 2027;
  • Deferring DCLs to allow 75% of fees to be deferred to occupancy or four years, and allowing surety bonds in place of letters of credit;
  • Increasing the public art cash-in-lieu discount from 20% to 40% for eligible in-stream rezoning;
  • Eliminating Transportation Demand Management plan requirements for new development applications submitted after December 10, 2025;
  • Freezing implementation of Community Benefit Agreement requirements; and 

  • Choosing not to proceed with embodied carbon requirements. 

     

Provincial Advocacy 

UDI remains the sector’s primary conduit into provincial decision-making. Our work focused on ensuring provincial policy reflects the financial and regulatory pressures facing builders. 

Throughout 2025, we engaged ministers, senior officials and legislative staff to secure changes that allow viable projects to proceed. 

Key Performance Highlights 

• 8 dedicated Issues Committees tackling highly technical policy challenges at the provincial level
• 20 pieces of correspondence submitted to 8 Ministries & the Premier’s Office, outlining data-informed industry feedback and recommendations
• 26 Senior Government Policy & Advocacy newsletter updates shared with members
• Numerous meetings with Key Ministers, Officials and the Premier’s office 

2025 Provincial Wins: A Closer Look 

• New DCC payment timing framework allowing 75% deferral until occupancy or four years, and expanded use of surety bonds.
• Phased implementation of adaptability provisions in the 2024 BC Building Code, starting with 20% of units in large residential buildings.
• Implementation of BC Hydro’s Distribution Extension Policy as a more equitable cost-sharing framework for connections, and elimination of customers financing system improvement costs.
• Held workshop with BC Hydro to discuss outstanding challenges with connections in Victoria and the Lower Mainland, and active pilot projects to improve processing times.
• CleanBC Review Panel Recommendations included UDI’s advocacy ask to eliminate Energy Step Code 4 and delay the implementation of Energy Step Code 3.
• Organized industry roundtable with Ministry of Agriculture and Food to discuss the need for additional sites for relocating excavated soils throughout the Province, which led to Minister commitment for continued work with industry to develop potential solutions.
• Ministry of Environment and Parks launched its Site Remediation Services app, which UDI members helped test.
• Crane swing and underpinning advocacy led to BC Law Institute review of those issues.
• Extension of REDMA timeline from 12 to 18 months.
• No change to PTT treatment of bare trusts.
• Proposed amendments to the Heritage Conservation Act were delayed allowing for additional consultation with industry. 

Federal Advocacy 

UDI began the year with in-person advocacy in Ottawa, meeting with Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation officials and key political staff to outline the unique financing and delivery challenges facing British Columbia’s builders. As the federal landscape shifted with the election of Prime Minster Mark Carney UDI engaged with the ministries of Finance and Housing over the summer in the lead up to Budget 2025. Staff have re-engaged with the new staff from leader of the Official Opposition and will be conducting quarterly meetings. 

2025 Federal Wins: A Closer Look 

• Removal of the Underutilized Housing Tax.