B.C. outlines housing affordability plan

The B.C. government says it’s moving on its promise to speed up delivery of housing to those in need through its Homes for People plan, which includes measures to address zoning, speculation, and property flipping.

The province says the goal of the plan, unveiled Monday, is to provide British Columbians with supports to get them into homes that fit their needs.

The plan includes several actions, including the long-awaited $400 renters’ rebate, included in Budget 2023, and an anti-flipping tax to “discourage short-term speculation.”

“If you’ve scrolled through rental listings or seen the prices of homes in your community, you know how tough it is to find an affordable, decent place to live,” said Premier David Eby, who notes the pace at which housing is being built is still not meeting demand.

“This plan will take us to the next level with unprecedented actions to tackle the challenges head-on, delivering even more homes for people, faster.”

Related articles: 

• Vancouver to ‘escalate’ East Hastings tent removals: community advocates

• Vancouver and B.C. Gov’t want people off the street, unhoused want safer housing first

• B.C. renters’ rebate moving ahead after 2017 promise

Zoning approvals and delays have already been identified as a major hurdle for many developments. The province says Homes for People promises to increase middle-income, small scale multi-unit housing, like townhomes, duplexes, and triplexes, through zoning and regulation changes that will create what it calls “conditions to encourage faster housing construction and reduce development costs.” The plan is to create more incentives and reduce tape to help build more targeted types of housing, the B.C. government explains.

The housing plan also outlines forgivable loans to homeowners to build and rent secondary suites at below market rates; promises thousands of affordable homes; more builds near public transit; and changes — modernizing and streamlining — to permitting to keep costs down and speed up approvals.

Meanwhile, on the matter of speculation and investment properties, is also top of mind, with the plan including measures to tackle such purchases.

The province says the Homes for People plan will strengthen “enforcement of short-term rentals” to ensure homes go to those who need them.