Homes for people, faster
B.C. is tackling the challenges people face every day, and helping more people find a home they can afford in a community they love.
We’re standing up for British Columbians: increasing the supply of rental homes, supporting first-time homebuyers, and bringing on strong measures to crack down on housing speculation. And it’s making a difference. Rents are going down, more new rentals are being built than ever, and construction is going strong.
It’s all part of our Homes for People Action Plan to deliver more homes for people, and build a brighter future for everyone, in every community in B.C.
Delivering more homes for people, faster
In the face of a global housing affordability crisis, we’re staying focused on bringing down housing costs and helping more people find a home they can afford in a community they love.
Building more homes
Budget 2025 builds on work underway to cut red tape and speed up approvals so more types of homes can be built faster, delivering thousands more rental homes and making homeownership a reality for more working- and middle-class families.
Speculation and vacancy tax
We’re making sure homes are for people who live here by cracking down on speculators and bad actors who helped drive up housing costs. Budget 2025 increases the Speculation and Vacancy Tax to 3% for foreign and untaxed worldwide owners and 1% for Canadian citizens and permanent residents who leave homes vacant.
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Residential Tenancy Branch
B.C. is improving services and wait times for tenants and landlords at the Residential Tenancy Branch.
Are you being unfairly evicted? Is a tenant not paying rent? Get a dispute resolved quicker or submit a complaint for investigation.
Rental assistance programs
Rental assistance programs are available for those who qualify to help with rent costs.
Add additional units to your home or property
New rules are making it easier, faster and more affordable to add a second, third or even fourth unit to your home. There are also standardized designs being developed to help home builders, both big and small, develop more duplexes, triplexes and row homes.
More homes for people
Learn about household supports for you, and for those who build and provide homes.
Supporting renters
By capping annual allowable rent increases, providing an annual renters rebate up to $400, and making sure more affordable rentals are available in your community, more renters are being protected.
Supporting first-time homebuyers
Through partnerships, tax benefits, and building more options for first homes, the door to homeownership is being opened for more first-time homebuyers.
Supporting people who face housing barriers
By providing emergency and long-term financial assistance, temporary, permanent, and supportive homes, and wrap-around services, more people are finding and keeping the homes they need.
Supporting homeowners and small-scale landlords
By providing incentives, property tax grants and deferrals, and more support with tenancies, more homeowners can save on their costs and rent out units on their property.
Supporting landowners, developers, operators, First Nations and municipalities to add more homes
By cutting red tape, speeding up approvals, fixing outdated rules, and leveraging underused public and non-profit land, more homes are being delivered, faster, for working- and middle-class people.