The provincial quest to add more homes has made success stories out of several Greater Victoria municipalities. Others, meanwhile, could find themselves in the crosshairs of the B.C. Housing Ministry.
The province implemented the Housing Supply Act in 2023, establishing housing targets for communities based on areas of greatest need and highest projected growth. So far, the province reports it has delivered 16,130 net new homes across the first 30 priority municipalities.
Some Greater Victoria municipalities are exceeding targets, while others feel sidelined by what they say are rigid targets and timelines that ignore their community's reality.
The first group of 10 communities, which included Victoria, Saanich and Oak Bay, has reported more than 8,300 homes built in their first year of targets, while six-month reports from the second and third groups show more than 7,800 net new homes have been constructed.
Among the second and third groups are Central Saanich and Esquimalt, which have both demolished their first-year housing targets. Central Saanich contributed 304 units, surpassing its target of 77 by 395 per cent. Esquimalt followed suit, adding 224 units and exceeding its target of 81 by 277 per cent. These two municipalities lead all 20 communities included in the second and third priority groups.
Esquimalt Mayor Barbara Desjardins credited the success of development to the community's amenities, walkability and proximity to core municipalities, which make it an attractive place to live and build. Other contributing factors include proactive planning dating back to Esquimalt’s 2014 Economic Development Strategy, which engaged the real estate sector.
“The target was exceeded because developers were willing to invest in Esquimalt,” said Desjardins. She also credited an efficient approval process and a council eager to build housing. “We understand that housing is a priority in our region and have been putting processes in place for several years to arrive at the positive numbers you see today. Adding new homes bolsters our community’s vitality and supports local businesses – we’re thrilled to welcome new residents to the township.”
While Esquimalt and Central Saanich are making significant contributions to the province’s housing goals, other municipalities have seen different results.
Colwood has achieved 54 per cent of its year-one target of 178 units, putting it largely on track to meet the goal issued by the province.
“We are confident that, based on the number of units under construction in Colwood, we will meet the mandated target,” said Sandra Russell, Colwood’s manager of communications.
Sidney has added 54 of its 90 targeted housing units, putting it at 60 per cent of the way toward its first-year goal.
However, the report shows some communities are further behind. North Saanich has reached just 10 per cent of its first-year goal. Still, it placed ahead of View Royal, which, after six months, had achieved only four per cent of its target, with just four units constructed toward the target of 99. View Royal ranks second from the bottom among the second- and third-priority communities in housing target progress.
View Royal Mayor Sid Tobias assures the situation in the community is more than meets the eye. He explained that just before the reporting period began, occupancy permits were issued for two apartment buildings, with another approved this February, collectively bringing 336 new units to the town in the near future, which would surpass the 99-unit goal.
“The town is on track to exceed expectations,” Tobias said.
Despite Tobias’s certainty that his community would more than meet their targets, he expressed some frustration with the province's policy.
“The province is imposing rigid targets and timelines, sidelining local context and community input,” he said.
“It’s ironic that we market our province as ‘super, natural British Columbia’ – a place of unique character and local charm – while pushing a one-size-fits-all housing strategy that erodes the very autonomy and identity of our communities.”
A fourth group of priority communities will soon be assigned targets, including the City of Langford, which has already expressed disappointment with its inclusion. In a statement, Langford said the decision fails to recognize its “long-standing leadership in housing development” and “unfairly penalizes a municipality that has consistently exceeded expectations.”
Colwood Mayor Doug Kobayashi echoed the sentiment, telling the Goldstream Gazette the province was “micro-managing.”
Despite this, the province has no plans to slow down as it proceeds with its housing targets strategy.
“As we add new communities to the housing targets program to keep up with demand, we will continue to work together with municipalities to make sure more people can find homes that fit their needs and budgets,” said Housing Minister Ravi Kahlon.
“We’re also delivering real results – more than 16,000 homes have now been built through housing targets, and thousands more are on the way.”
