B.C. Moves To Increase Housing Supply, Deliver More Homes Faster

The province is putting new measures in place that it says will help create more housing.

“People in our province deserve a decent place to live they can actually afford to rent or buy, but a chronic housing shortage and long permit approval times are frustrating that achievable goal,” said Premier David Eby.

“Our government is taking action. We’re making it easier and faster to get provincial permits to build new homes, and offering financial support for people who could build a suite they can rent out at more affordable rates. We’ve got lots to do, which is why we’re focusing on initiatives like these that make a real and tangible difference for thousands of families.”

The changes are intended to speed up permitting and help build more secondary suites for rent.

The first action focuses on speeding up the permitting process through the launch of a one-stop shop that eliminates the need for multiple applications across different ministries. The Single Housing Application Service (SHAS) will help deliver more homes faster by creating a simpler permitting application for homebuilders, clearing backlogs.

The second initiative centers on secondary suites and comes ahead of planned legislation this fall to make secondary suites legal throughout the province, and a pilot incentive program to help homeowners build secondary suites.

The pilot program, set to launch in early spring 2024, will provide approximately 3,000 homeowners with forgivable loans of up to $40,000 to create a new secondary suite or accessory dwelling unit on their property.

The loans will only go to properties that will be rented below market rates.

To learn more, visit Government of British Columbia.