The last few months in British Columbia have been highly eventful in the topical realm of housing affordability and homelessness, with the provincial government taking the first steps on its new ambitious multi-faceted housing affordability and supply strategy.

It is a $4-billion, multi-year strategy to invest in tens of thousands of new homes across the housing continuum of social and supportive housing, below-market rental housing, market rental housing, and purpose-built student housing to reduce pressure on the rental market.

Past governments since the 2010s focused mainly on implementing interventionist measures to regulate supply, and while the new strategy does include some more interventionist measures — specifically with the forthcoming introduction of a new flipping tax and more actions to address criminal activity in real estate — it aims to rally on supply to an extent never before seen in decades.

Bringing in new supply is now the overwhelming focus under the leadership of Premier David Eby, who has created a new Ministry dedicated to tackling housing, with a Minister assigned to this sole portfolio.

While the provincial government is making major public investments into affordable housing, it also needs municipal governments to approve and expedite housing built by the private and not-for-profit sectors, with governments coming in to fill the cracks and provide further support for further affordability and project feasibility, such as a funding partner or  providing low-cost construction financing.

The province has already identified at least two broad strategies that override traditional municipal authority.

For one, single-family zoning in BC as we know it will come to an end, with the provincial government expected to introduce legislation later this year to allow up to four units on a single lot.

Secondly, on Wednesday, May 31, the provincial government is expected to announce the first 10 municipal governments that will be subject to the new Housing Supply Act. Jurisdictions that have capacity to grow and/or are falling behind in meeting housing needs in their community will be required to meet new housing supply quotas.

Credit: Dailyhive