By Canadian Press

B.C. tables legislation to encourage communities to build homes near transit hubs

Nov 8, 2023 | 2:30 PM

VICTORIA — The British Columbia government has introduced legislation it estimates could provide up to 100,000 new homes near designated transit areas over the next decade.

The government says the proposed legislation is aimed at encouraging communities to build housing in areas designated as transit hubs.

The legislation is among a series of housing-related bills introduced this fall by the New Democrat government to tackle what has become a crisis in both affordability and lack of housing. 

Premier David Eby says the government is taking an all-hands-on-deck approach to address the problem, including recently introducing bills aimed at limiting short-term rentals and requiring local governments to allow multi-unit buildings on lots typically used for detached homes.

Eby says outdated municipal zoning rules discourage development of multi-unit buildings on city lots, while the expansion of short-term accommodations cuts back on the long-term rental stock.

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The New Democrat government also tabled proposed legislation to help local governments and housing developers establish which amenities — such as parks and daycares — can be expected to be part of new developments.

Opposition BC United Leader Kevin Falcon says the government’s legislation appears rushed and desperate, and he compared the plan to “throwing spaghetti at the wall and hoping something sticks.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 2023.

The Canadian Press