After much anticipation, and perhaps anxiety, we now know the housing targets the Government of British Columbia has set for the 10 municipalities that made the so-called housing "naughty list."
The Province has not yet made the announcement but is expected to do so later today. The targets were detailed in ministerial orders seen by STOREYS.
The housing targets come as part of the Housing Supply Act announced by Premier David Eby immediately after stepping into the role. The 10 chosen municipalities were announced on May 31, but their housing targets were not, with the Province consulting with local governments over the summer to determine the targets.
All housing target orders are effective as of October 1, 2023 and end on September 30, 2028. According to the Province, all of the housing targets are for the "minimum number of net new completed housing units," cumulative over five years, and reflect 75% of the total housing needs for the municipality, as estimated by the Province.
Here are the 10 municipalities, in alphabetical order, and the housing targets they have been given.
Abbotsford
- Year 1: 1,022
- Year 2: 2,186
- Year 3: 3,563
- Year 4: 5,224
- Year 5: 7,240
Delta
- Year 1: 514
- Year 2: 1,098
- Year 3: 1,785
- Year 4: 2,609
- Year 5: 3,607
District of North Vancouver
- Year 1: 499
- Year 2: 1,021
- Year 3: 1,577
- Year 4: 2,179
- Year 5: 2,838
Kamloops
- Year 1: 679
- Year 2: 1,414
- Year 3: 2,233
- Year 4: 3,164
- Year 5: 4,236
Oak Bay
- Year 1: 56
- Year 2: 138
- Year 3: 258
- Year 4: 429
- Year 5: 664
Port Moody
- Year 1: 231
- Year 2: 499
- Year 3: 820
- Year 4: 1,212
- Year 5: 1,694
Saanich
- Year 1: 440
- Year 2: 1,041
- Year 3: 1,882
- Year 4: 3,045
- Year 5: 4,610
Vancouver
- Year 1: 5,202
- Year 2: 10,597
- Year 3: 16,281
- Year 4: 22,349
- Year 5: 28,900
- Year 1: 659
- Year 2: 1,425
- Year 3: 2,352
- Year 4: 3,493
- Year 5: 4,902
West Vancouver
- Year 1: 220
- Year 2: 462
- Year 3: 738
- Year 4: 1,057
- Year 5: 1,432
Once the housing targets come into effect, the Province will then monitor the municipalities and their progress towards the targets. If the municipality is not meeting its target, the Province can appoint an advisor to conduct a review to identify why the target has not been met and potentially issue a directive, such as ordering the municipal government to amend or enact a given bylaw or permit.
The 10 municipalities were chosen from a larger list of 47 municipalities. Another cohort of eight to 10 municipalities is expected to be selected later this year.
The Province has previously said that the municipalities are being selected through a data-based process developed based on the work of economists and other experts. The selection process entailed giving a weighted score to 10 factors, which were grouped into three overarching categories: the availability of the right housing supply, the urgency of housing needs, and the location of the municipality itself.
Factors and how much they were weighed in the selection process.(Province of British Columbia)
Although the list has been humourously referred to as the housing "naughty list," the Province says that the municipalities were chosen starting with "those with the greatest need and highest projected growth."
All municipalities that have been given housing targets have already been informed of said targets, and the Minister of Housing has also given the local governments the opportunity to respond.
Local governments will be responsible for submitting an annual progress report to the Province and will also be required to publish the report on its website. An initial progress report is expected at both the midway point and conclusion of the first year, with progress reports expected once a year for the remaining four years.
