B.C. government issues housing policy deadlines for West Vancouver and Oak Bay | Daily Hive

Ravi Kahlon. (Government of BC)

The Government of British Columbia is taking formal steps to compel the municipal governments of Oak Bay and West Vancouver to speed up their net new housing completions, not merely project approvals, after both communities fell significantly short of their legislated first-year housing targets.

In a statement released today, B.C. Minister of Housing and Municipal Affairs Ravi Kahlon said that while many municipalities are making strong progress under the legislated Housing Supply Act, a recent review commissioned by the provincial government found that both Oak Bay and West Vancouver have been slow to take action, prompting the province to intervene.

“Every community has a role to play in solving the housing crisis,” said Kahlon. “While most local governments are making positive changes, there’s more work to do in some areas.”

Kahlon first publicly singled out Oak Bay and West Vancouver in December 2024 for falling far short of their targets, warning that the provincial government is fuly prepared to directly intervene in the affairs of the municipalities if they do not provide a plan that shows how they will narrow the new housing supply gap.

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Oak Bay achieved just 16 of its 56-unit target for the first year, while West Vancouver achieved 58 out of 220 units. The provincial Housing Supply Act enables the minister to issue binding directives to municipalities that are not meeting their targets.

As part of the next steps, both municipalities have received formal notice of the province’s intent to issue directives, giving them 30 days to submit written feedback before the orders are finalized.

For the District of Oak Bay, the proposed directives would require the municipality to amend its Development Application Procedures bylaw to allow staff — as opposed to the current City Council process — to approve minor variances by Jan. 31, 2026, streamlining what is often a lengthy process. As well, the parking facilities bylaw would be changed to reduce parking requirements for multi-unit housing to a minimum of one stall per unit, aligning with best practices.

Kahlon also clarified that Oak Bay will not be required to pursue development in Carnarvon Park — a controversial topic among local residents — but encouraged the municipality to explore alternative sites for future housing.

For the District of West Vancouver, the directives are broader and tied to major planning areas.

By Sept. 30, 2026, West Vancouver’s municipal government must update its Official Community Plan and zoning bylaws to increase density in the Ambleside and Dundarave Village areas. Furthermore, by Dec. 31, 2026, West Vancouver is required to develop a local area plan for the Park Royal-Taylor Way corridor, allowing for additional density and aligning with provincial guidelines for transit-oriented development.

west vancouver ambleside dundarave skyline

West Vancouver. (Russ Heinl/Shutterstock)

Kahlon said these measures are designed to remove outdated barriers and modernize local planning to meet today’s housing needs, emphasizing collaboration rather than control.

“This is not about punishing communities or removing local authority,” he stated. “It’s about working together to remove unnecessary barriers and get more homes built faster.”

In addition to the directives, Kahlon has sent each municipality a letter outlining the full set of advisor recommendations stemming from a two-month review of their land-use policies, approval processes, and housing strategies.

Both Oak Bay and West Vancouver are expected to provide updates on their implementation progress in the months ahead.

If the first-year targets were challenging for these cities to meet, the difficulty will only increase in the remaining years of the five-year targets.

By 2028, West Vancouver is required to push 1,432 net new homes to completion, with incremental cumulative gains of 462 in the second year, 738 in the third year, and 1,057 in the fourth year.

At the end of the five-year period, Oak Bay has been directed to catalyze a total of 664 net new home completions, with cumulative gains of 138 in the second year, 258 in the third year, and 429 in the fourth year.

To date, after announcing three sets of target orders under the Housing Supply Act, each involving 10 cities, a total of 30 municipal governments across B.C. are currently under these orders, with the latest batch of 10 cities announced in Summer 2024. Up to 17 more cities could still receive target orders, as the provincial government’s Housing Supply Act of 2023 lists a total of 43 cities. Target orders have not yet been issued for major Metro Vancouver cities such as Burnaby, Coquitlam, and Richmond, which have been particularly vocal in their opposition to various provincial housing legislations.

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