The District of Oak Bay has spoken out about the housing targets given to them by the BC government in order to help increase housing in the densely populated region.
In September 2023, the Province singled out 10 BC communities for not keeping up with the pace needed to provide adequate housing to their communities.
Both Victoria and Oak Bay were among those communities, with targets of 4,610 and 664 respectively.
Since then, Victoria has put forth a concerted effort to greenlight a number of projects that will increase housing, with an emphasis on building affordable rental units.
Oak Bay has not been able to meet their target and has since been called out by BC’s Minister of Housing, Ravi Kahlon.
On December 17th, the District received a letter from Minister Kahlon regarding the housing target progress report and the potential appointment of a housing advisor.
An advisor is only appointed when a community fails to complete its housing targets, prompting the Province to step in and aid them in streamlining processes to greenlight housing projects.
However, the District says that an open letter was written to Minister Kahlon in September 2023 which outlined feasibility concerns with their target and requested additional information, support and adjustments.
Oak Bay says no response was provided prior to Kahlon’s letter in December regarding an advisor.
“As it takes at least a year to build new housing, the units finished in 2024 (those measured in the progress report triggering potential appointment of an advisor) do not capture building industry responses to the District’s new housing regulations,” wrote a District spokesperson in a media release.
“Any municipality that has achieved the Province’s housing targets has done so due to units approved prior to regulatory changes prompted by the Province.”
The District added that regulatory changes made in 2024 have increased Oak Bay’s housing capacity and they plan on doing more in 2025 following Official Community Plan and zoning bylaw updates.
In a response letter to Kahlon’s, Oak Bay’s council expressed disappointment over their being singled out.
According to their letter, Oak Bay missed its target by just 40 homes, which is reportedly the lowest of the seven non-compliant communities first identified by the Province.
Oak Bay council says if a housing advisor is assigned to them, this person will find their zoning bylaws compliant.
Additionally the advisor would find the District only outright denied one rezoning applicant in the last 10 years, they support Capital Regional District growth and with the applications they have at present an additional 61 units could be built.
