BC Government Action Plan - Homes for People

DELIVER MORE HOMES AND SERVICES NEAR TRANSIT Making it easier for people to find a home they can afford near transit makes sense. When we focus on active transportation near homes, we are making it more convenient for residents to get to work, school or errands, while helping families reduce their vehicle dependency and costs and supporting our province’s CleanBC goals. Through Budget 2023, we are providing $394 million as an initial investment to help deliver up to 10,000 units at or near transit over the next 10-15 years. This initiative will focus on accessing land that is suitable to be acquired near transit hubs and transforming this land into thriving communities.

LAUNCH BC BUILDS – A NEW PROGRAM DEDICATED TO DELIVERING MORE MIDDLE INCOME HOMES Working in partnership, BC Builds will bring together public lands, low-cost financing, faster provincial and local government approvals, and innovative tools to help more households with middle incomes find a home that fits their needs. Our work on housing has engaged many partners over the past five years, including Indigenous partners, local governments, non-profit housing providers, home builders, and more. BC Builds will continue these efforts and help identify opportunities, establish partnerships and facilitate action to build more homes, more quickly for middle-income households across the province. EXPAND B.C.’S CONSTRUCTION WORKFORCE AND SPUR INNOVATION Many of B.C.’s skilled tradespeople are near or at retirement age, and while investments in post-secondary and skills training have brought thousands of new skilled labourers into the workforce, we know the looming labour shortage must be addressed to meet our housing targets and build the homes people need. Through government’s Future Ready Plan, to be released later this spring, we will connect more people to the relevant skills and training they need to quickly find and advance their careers in the construction sector Fostering innovation within the construction sector is also a key component to our plan to build more, with less. This means embracing new technologies, such as digital permitting, mass timber to reduce carbon emissions, and prefabrication to cut down construction time and on-site labour needs.