B.C. Home Builders Need Predictability and Stability, Not Sweeping Change

Burnaby, B.C., November 2, 2026 — As the incoming provincial government sets its housing agenda, the Canadian Home Builders’ Association of BC (CHBA BC) is encouraged by its commitments to lower construction costs, speed up approvals, and revisit the step codes to allow for greater energy choice. Our members share those goals, and we’re ready to help deliver them.

Getting there will depend on the details. The Premier-designate has said his government plans to remove provincial housing targets and repeal or amend the small-scale, multi-unit housing rules (Bill 44). Before making changes of that scale, we urge the government to hear from the people who build homes in B.C.

B.C.’s home building sector is under real pressure right now, and what builders need most is stability. Housing targets and pre-zoning provide it. They give builders a clear answer up front about what can be built and where, so they can plan, secure financing, and get homes started with confidence. Removing them would bring back case-by-case rezonings and public hearings, adding time, cost, and risk at a moment when the sector can least afford it.

B.C. also still needs missing middle housing. Townhomes, multiplexes, and laneway homes are the homes young families, first-time buyers, and seniors looking to downsize can afford in the communities where they already live. We need more of them, not fewer.

There is room to improve the current approach, but sweeping changes made without industry input risk stalling homes already in the pipeline. We urge the incoming government to consult with industry, including local Home Builders’ Associations, before making changes.

CHBA BC is ready to work with the new government to get this right.

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About the Canadian Home Builders’ Association of BC:

The Canadian Home Builders’ Association of British Columbia (CHBA BC) is the provincial voice of the residential construction industry. Together with eight local Home Builders’ Associations, CHBA BC represents more than 2,300 builders, developers, renovators, designers, suppliers, and trades across the province. CHBA BC advocates for practical solutions to increase housing supply and attainability across BC.

Media Contact:
George Greenwood
CEO, CHBA BC
media@chbabc.org