BC Conservatives would rip up Eby’s successful plan, hand housing market back to speculators

The BC NDP has committed to building more homes people can afford by lowering construction costs, reducing red tape, and investing in shovel-ready affordable housing projects. If re-elected, they will also bring in a Small Builder Permit Guarantee for small residential builds.

“Tackling the housing crisis is one of the reasons I got into public service. I’m proud of the progress we’ve made to drive down prices faster in B.C. than anywhere else in Canada – but there’s so much more to do,” said David Eby, leader of the BC NDP. “We can’t afford to let Lorne Doerkson and the BC Conservatives rip up our work – cancelling the speculation tax and bringing back the old red tape that blocked construction and caused the housing crisis in the first place. That would send rents skyrocketing.”

David Eby’s country-leading Homes for People plan eliminated local zoning barriers that experts expect will unlock 300,000 more middle-class homes. Rental asking prices in B.C. have dropped 27 months in a row and are now 10% below the peak in 2024.

For too long, conservative politicians allowed speculators to drive the cost of housing out of reach for people, Eby noted. At the televised Leader’s Debate, Doerkson doubled down on the BC Conservatives’ longstanding opposition to the BC NDP’s housing plan that is delivering thousands of homes and bringing rents down across the province. Eby said Doerkson’s $5 billion in uncosted promises would have to be paid for by deep cuts to things like affordable housing projects.

Five new ways David Eby and the BC NDP will deliver more homes people can afford:

• Small Builder Permit Guarantee: Bring in 30-day permit deadlines for completed applications for small residential builds (up to six units) that fit within official community plans in large municipalities. We will provide $5M per year to support municipal governments to meet this target.
• Reducing red tape for builders:Streamline the permitting process by implementing standardized, province-wide technical code and permit application requirements for small residential builds.
• Lowering construction costs: Reach a final agreement with the federal government to lower development cost charges for multi-unit housing by up to 50% - equal to $40,000 per unit - while expanding road and water infrastructure needed to support new homes.
• Protecting renters: Partner with the federal government to leverage funding and double the number of homes that we can protect through the BC Rental Protection Fund, purchasing at-risk buildings so non-profits can keep rents affordable.
• Building shovel-ready affordable homes: Invest $390 million into a new Shovel-Ready Affordable Housing call to ensure non-market housing projects proceed quickly for people who need help the most.