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Role of government

Last updated on December 8, 2022

Making sure there's enough affordable housing in B.C. is a joint responsibility across all levels of government. Here's an overview of what the different levels of government do with respect to housing.

Local governments

  • Adopting growth strategies and plans that encourage affordable housing units
  • Nurturing a regulatory environment that's "housing-friendly" by allowing secondary suites or promoting increased density and housing options
  • Providing pre-zoned land for development and higher-density transit
  • Offering property tax incentives and targeted reductions to build or renovate affordable housing
  • Streamlining development approval processes

First Nations

First Nations governments provide housing for Indigenous Peoples in many areas of the province.

Provincial government

  • Addressing housing affordability through a strategic housing action plan
  • Regulates real estate development / marketing, home warranty insurance on new homes, landlord-tenant agreements, land use planning and development finance
  • Provides the legislative framework for strata housing and strata developments
  • Invests in public transit
  • Partners with local governments, non-profit agencies and housing stakeholders through BC Housing, a crown corporation.
  • Funds social housing programs and projects
  • Maintains the BC Building Code, creating efficiencies so that it's easier to approve options such as secondary suites
  • Develop uniform technical standards that simplify building code compliance

Federal government

The content on this website is periodically reviewed and updated by the Province of British Columbia as per the date noted on each page: February 19, 2018.

 

BC Housing is a Crown Corporation that supports social housing, affordable housing, emergency shelters and out reach for homeless people and regulates residential construction. It also administers rent supplements. BC Housing reports to the Minister of Housing.