In September 2023, the BC government singled out 10 communities who they determined were most in need of additional housing.
Victoria, Saanich and Oak Bay were among those 10 communities.
Specifically, Victoria must build 4,902 homes in five years while Saanich’s target is 4,610 and Oak Bay must build 664 homes.
According to BC, over 4,000 homes have either been built or are under construction since they identified the first ten communities, just nine months after being assigned their targets.
The Province says Victoria and Port Moody have stood out and shown significant progress delivering homes, incorporating housing requirements and building more homes near transit.
“We are gratified the City of Victoria is being recognized for its progress in meeting the Province’s housing target of 4,902 new homes over the next five years,” said Marianne Alto, Mayor of Victoria.
“Housing is a priority in city council’s 2023-26 strategic plan, reflecting our commitment to meeting the needs of our residents by offering a diverse range of housing options to ensure everyone has access to a place they can call home.”
BC added that other communities are also doing well and are at various stages of meeting their targets and updating their policies.
Additionally, they singled out Oak Bay for not making enough progress on their housing endeavours.
If certain municipalities do not meet their targets, the Province will assign an advisor to review their progress and make recommendations.
As a last resort, a Provincial directive will be handed down to the municipality, requiring them to enact or amend withholding bylaws or accept or reject permits to help them meet the target.
In addition to announcing how the first ten municipalities are doing, the Province has revealed the targets for the next round of communities in need of housing, some of which are on Vancouver Island.
Their targets are as follows:
- Central Saanich – 588 units
- Esquimalt – 754 units
- Nanaimo – 4,703 units
- Sidney – 468 units
These island communities will also have five years to meet these targets.
The Province is aiming for a total of 55,478 homes to be delivered by the second set of communities, over 27,000 of which will be built in Surrey.
