B.C. housing market to be top focus of Legislature’s fall session

A slew of new legislation is coming to B.C.’s legislature in the upcoming fall session that begins next week, with the NDP announcing Friday a suite of measures that it says will continue to prioritize the province’s housing market.

In a statement outlining its actions, the Ministry of Housing says allowing secondary and basement suites in every community; speeding up municipal and provincial permitting, removing delays; and delivering “thousands of new homes in areas well-served by transit” are just some of the government’s top priorities.

It’s also putting short-term renters, and companies like Airbnb, on notice. It says it’s looking to strengthen enforcement of regulations for short-term rentals and bring “more long-term rentals back to the housing market.”

“The proposed legislation that we’re bringing will make it easier for local governments to ensure that short-term rental platforms and hosts play by the rules, and help them return much of that long-term housing back into communities,” Housing Minister Ravi Kahlon said during a press conference Friday.

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Kahlon understands and acknowledges that there is a labour shortage among home builders — not just in the province but nationwide — along with interest rate and construction cost challenges, but he says those have been factored into housing targets the province is setting.

“What we’re focused on is the things that we can control, and that is what we’re doing. Legislation that allows housing to get built faster by removing barriers, funding not-for-profits to actually build affordable housing,” he said.

Kahlon also says he’s hopeful the federal government will get on board as part of the housing solution, but following a meeting in Ottawa with the prime minister earlier this week, he says he’s not seeing much of a solution at this point.

The NDP also outlined other measures it’s tabling this upcoming session, including legislation to “improve emergency management, support victims of crime, update international credentialing so more people can work in their chosen field, and further advance reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples.”