B.C.'s new housing targets list draws mayors' frustration

CBC

5 days ago

The B.C. government says it will mandate housing targets for 10 more municipalities in an ongoing effort to increase homes throughout the province.
But some mayors argue they're already doing everything they can and that being added to what's been called the housing "naughty list" won't help.
The 10 new "priority communities" include Burnaby, Coquitlam, Courtenay, Township of Langley, Langford, Penticton, Pitt Meadows, Richmond, Squamish and Vernon. They join 30 other B.C. municipalities that are already part of the housing targets program, which was first created in 2023.
Being on the list means the province expects the cities to hit about 75 per cent of their communities' estimated housing needs within five years.
B.C. requires local governments to file standardized reports on the number of homes needed in the future.
WATCH | B.C. mayors take issue with provincial housing targets:
B.C. cities puzzled over inclusion on housing targets list
1 day ago
Duration 2:32
Last week, the provincial government added 10 new municipalities to a list of cities it wants to see speed up housing construction. But as CBC News' Sohrab Sandhu heard, from mayors and councillors, the cities say they're already doing all they can to densify and meet provincial targets.
The housing targets program comes as part of provincial efforts to encourage and require municipalities to build more housing.
But local officials of the newly listed communities are puzzled over the usefulness of the list.
Mayors frustrated
Township of Langley Mayor Eric Woodward said the province won't find many goals that the city can improve on.
"We've already made so many improvements, and we're already building so much housing," Woodward said.
"What more can the Township of Langley do to provide for additional housing for the region than it already has?"
Woodward said the list will highlight whether a community meets the provincial target but won't be much help otherwise.
In a news release announcing the updated list Thursday, the provincial government recognized that many of the 10 new communities "are already leaders in building more homes."
The Ministry of Housing contends that being added to the list benefits the cities.
"Many communities are already taking steps to increase housing supply, and being part of the program will support them in accelerating home-building and meeting the growing needs of their residents," reads an emailed statement.
The province consults with municipalities and then orders the target.
If a municipality does not meet the target, the province can appoint an advisor to change bylaws or permits to allow more housing to be built.
The province expects to issue housing targets for 16 to 20 municipalities each fiscal year.
It chooses those communities using a calculation based on 10 factors such as their dwelling to population ratio, social housing waitlist and the proximity of current housing to amenities.
While the province has granted more than $1 billion across 188 municipalities to support infrastructure projects and community growth, there is no money specifically included with the housing targets program.
Woodward said the province needs to support more infrastructure such as schools and hospitals rather than just hand down mandates.
"I don't really think they're going to achieve much with this, you know, but I guess it makes for a good headline, you know, blaming cities, when I don't see them proceeding to solve a lot of problems."
Mayor Malcolm Brodie of Richmond said being named to the list was "a bit perplexing."
"Richmond has always been cited along with a couple other cities as really good examples of how we can increase the supply of housing."
Brodie said he wasn't aware of any benefits to being on the list but suggested "maybe it makes the province feel good."
The City of Langford has also complained about making the list. A city statement said the list "unfairly penalizes" Langford.
Langford Coun. Kimberley Guiry said councillors know the city is in a housing crisis.
"I think, initially, I was surprised, a little frustrated, maybe a little bit angry," she said, but added, "housing targets are not bad conversations."
"I was hoping we'd be … further down the list, of course. I think we've been doing a really good job."
Still need more housing: professor
Tom Davidoff, associate professor at the University of B.C.'s Sauder School of Business, said the newly added municipalities are likely doing a better job on housing than those on the original list in 2023.
"I think the really important naughty lists have already been created," Davidoff said. "We're seeing West Vancouver and Oak Bay, appropriately, being pushed around because they've been historically under-providing homes and providing way too much land for single family homes."
The province has appointed advisers to review those two municipalities, which were on the original 2023 list, after they fell short of their housing targets last year.
He suggested municipalities move beyond the minimum requirements for initiatives like multiplex housing, while the province could finance the upfront costs for electrical, sewage and wastewater infrastructure.
The new housing target numbers will be announced in June, according to the province.