B.C. Government Documents Expose 47 Municipalities Placed on Housing ‘Naughty List’

The government has expanded its housing ‘naughty list,’ adding Burnaby, Surrey, Langford, White Rock, Pitt Meadows, and North Cowichan.

Following the B.C.’s Housing Minister’s recent announcement, they made these cities their initial 10 targets. Last week, the minister revealed the first ten municipalities obligated to meet new housing targets. Now, a government order-in-council has disclosed the full list of 47 municipalities expected to boost housing production.

Expert Opinions on the List

Tom Davidoff, from UBC Sauder School of Business, contributed to the metrics for selecting municipalities. He was surprised that Whistler was excluded, given its significant housing challenges.

“The selected areas are widely recognized for housing issues. Notably, the list lacks small municipalities in the Interior or northern Vancouver Island,” Davidoff said.

Incentives for Meeting Housing Targets

Premier David Eby assured that communities meeting housing requirements would receive financial rewards. These funds could be used for amenities like bike lanes, recreation centers, and infrastructure to support growing populations.

Earlier this week, Mayor Mike Little of North Vancouver and Mayor Mark Sager of West Vancouver requested financial support from federal and provincial governments for essential infrastructure improvements. They mentioned the need for better highways and bridges to alleviate congestion.

Responsibilities of Small Municipalities

The expanded list may answer questions from housing analysts puzzled by the inclusion of small municipalities like Oak Bay and West Vancouver. These municipalities, with populations of 18,000 and 44,000 respectively, have limited capacity to significantly impact the province’s housing stock.

Jamie Squires, president of Fifth Avenue Real Estate Marketing, finds encouragement in the complete list, which includes a mix of housing “producers and non-producers.” She believes it makes sense to focus on larger municipalities progressing with high-density projects. Increasing housing starts in these communities would significantly impact the province’s overall housing supply compared to smaller municipalities.

However, Squires clarifies that smaller municipalities cannot evade their responsibilities. She notes that even smaller municipalities have available land and can construct housing, though they tend to progress more slowly. Larger municipalities like Vancouver face land limitations and are exploring options to increase density through infill sites.