$51 million in provincial funding for BC cities to follow new housing legislation

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To assist municipal and regional governments across British Columbia with changing their bylaws and policies to align with new provincial legislative requirements related to housing, the provincial government is providing all jurisdictions with a combined total of $51 million in funding to help cover their costs.

This specifically relates to aligning bylaws and policies with provincial legislation, such as transit-oriented development and small-scale, multi-unit housing on single-family lots.

The funding can be used to help cover municipal costs for updating the province’s required Housing Needs reports, zoning bylaws, development cost charges, community amenity cost charge bylaws, and community plans by hiring consultants and staff and doing research and community engagement.

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A total of 188 local governments — 160 municipal governments and 28 regional districts — will receive a share of this grant-based funding, including about $15 million set aside for Metro Vancouver’s municipalities. The grant amounts are based on a flat funding amount of $150,000 for municipal governments and $80,000 for regional districts, plus a per-capita amount based on population — $4.39 per resident in a municipal government and $5.80 per resident under a regional district.

As can be expected, the largest allocations are $3.296 million for the City of Vancouver and $3.022 million for the City of Surrey.

The only other BC cities to receive at least $1 million are all in Metro Vancouver — the City of Burnaby with $1.363 million and the City of Richmond with $1.146 million.

Metro Vancouver Regional District received $268,000, which is lower than some other regional districts, such as $324,000 for the Cowichan Valley Regional District. The neighbouring Fraser Valley Regional District received $203,923.

“There is an urgent need for more homes for people, and we are working with local governments to build this housing faster,” said Ravi Kahlon, BC Minister of Housing, in a statement.

“With new housing actions to build homes in our communities, it is important that we support local governments to improve the processes to get the housing built that people in our community desperately need. By providing them with upfront funding, instead of distributing it over time, local governments will be able to support the building of more housing as quickly as possible.”

The full breakdown of grant funding allocations for BC municipal governments, with Metro Vancouver municipalities bolded and italicized:

City of Abbotsford: $910,980
City of Armstrong: $175,453
City of Burnaby: $1,363,444
City of Campbell River: $317,395
City of Castlegar: $189,154
City of Chilliwack: $587,196
City of Colwood: $244,842
City of Coquitlam: $879,175
City of Courtenay: $285,396
City of Cranbrook: $248,235
City of Dawson Creek: $208,927
City of Delta: $655,377
City of Duncan: $173,943
City of Enderby: $164,430
City of Fernie: $175,989
City of Fort St. John: $249,657
City of Grand Forks: $169,294
City of Greenwood: $153,121
City of Kamloops: $614,787
City of Kelowna: $846,430
City of Kimberley: $187,635
City of Langford: $379,457
City of Langley: $288,390
City of Maple Ridge: $583,359
City of Merritt: $183,812
City of Mission: $345,952
City of Nanaimo: $619,936
City of Nelson: $200,766
City of New Westminster: $535,385
City of North Vancouver: $431,057
City of Parksville: $213,686
City of Penticton: $314,454
City of Pitt Meadows: $241,303
City of Port Alberni: $237,804
City of Port Coquitlam: $441,136
City of Port Moody: $320,310
City of Powell River: $213,251
City of Prince George: $514,036
City of Prince Rupert: $208,628
City of Quesnel: $195,142
City of Revelstoke: $187,412
City of Richmond: $1,145,893
City of Rossland: $169,000
City of Salmon Arm: $241,158
City of Surrey: $3,021,683
City of Terrace: $210,297
City of Trail: $186,696
City of Vancouver: $3,295,650
City of Vernon: $354,899
City of Victoria: $582,582
City of West Kelowna: $326,478
City of White Rock: $246,896
City of Williams Lake: $200,358
District of 100 Mile House: $158,991
District of Barriere: $158,596
District of Central Saanich: $233,695
District of Chetwynd: $161,704
District of Clearwater: $161,972
District of Coldstream: $203,360
District of Elkford: $162,103
Township of Esquimalt: $235,583
District of Fort St. James: $157,353
District of Highlands: $161,726
District of Hope: $179,681
District of Houston: $164,180
District of Hudson’s Hope: $154,697
District of Invermere: $166,981
District of Kent: $181,222
District of Kitimat: $188,492
District of Lake Country: $231,057
District of Langley Township: $794,373
District of Lantzville: $167,793
District of Lillooet: $159,518
District of Logan Lake: $160,211
District of Mackenzie: $166,129
District of Metchosin: $172,854
District of New Hazelton: $152,792
District of North Cowichan: $299,774
District of North Saanich: $207,052
District of North Vancouver: $563,354
District of Oak Bay: $235,425
District of Peachland: $177,683
District of Port Edward: $152,151
District of Port Hardy: $169,737
District of Saanich: $712,442
District of Sechelt: $200,731
District of Sicamous: $163,003
District of Sooke: $223,089
District of Sparwood: $168,548
District of Squamish: $256,717
District of Stewart: $151,927
District of Summerland: $207,671
District of Taylor: $156,879
District of Tofino: $161,467
District of Tumbler Ridge: $159,913
District of Ucluelet: $160,031
District of Vanderhoof: $170,945
District of Wells: $150,975
District of West Vancouver: $350,807
Island Municipality of Bowen Island: $168,153
Mountain Resort Municipality of Sun Peaks: $154,386
Northern Rockies Regional Municipality: $171,366
Resort Municipality of Whistler: $210,718
Town of Comox: $218,967
Town of Creston: $175,497
Town of Gibsons: $172,029
Town of Golden: $169,316
Town of Ladysmith: $191,995
Town of Lake Cowichan: $166,195
Town of Oliver: $175,243
Town of Osoyoos: $174,830
Town of Port McNeill: $161,212
Town of Princeton: $164,382
Town of Qualicum Beach: $191,885
Town of Sidney: $206,117
Town of Smithers: $175,493
Town of View Royal: $207,254
Township of Spallumcheen: $175,462
Village of Alert Bay: $152,037
Village of Anmore: $161,041
Village of Ashcroft: $157,476
Village of Belcarra: $153,143
Village of Burns Lake: $158,332
Village of Cache Creek: $154,847
Village of Canal Flats: $153,323
Village of Chase: $161,423
Village of Clinton: $152,739
Village of Cumberland: $171,270
Village of Daajing Giids: $154,473
Village of Fraser Lake: $154,517
Village of Fruitvale: $159,276
Village of Gold River: $155,575
Village of Granisle: $151,378
Village of Harrison Hot Springs: $157,599
Village of Hazelton: $151,558
Village of Kaslo: $154,605
Village of Keremeos: $157,898
Village of Lions Bay: $155,786
Village of Lumby: $159,355
Village of Lytton: $151,247
Village of Masset: $153,293
Village of McBride: $153,020
Village of Midway: $153,271
Village of Montrose: $154,741
Village of Nakusp: $157,704
Village of New Denver: $152,296
Village of Pemberton: $165,949
Village of Port Alice: $153,029
Village of Port Clements: $151,141
Village of Pouce Coupe: $153,718
Village of Radium Hot Springs: $154,460
Village of Salmo: $156,221
Village of Sayward: $151,313
Village of Silverton: $150,953
Village of Slocan: $151,383
Village of Tahsis: $151,286
Village of Telkwa: $156,466
Village of Valemount: $154,412
Village of Warfield: $158,161
Village of Zeballos: $150,571

The full breakdown of grant funding allocations for BC regional districts:

Alberni-Clayoquot Regional District: $142,686
Regional District Bulkley-Nechako: $198,964
Capital Regional District: $252,492
Cariboo Regional District: $327,132
Central Coast Regional District: $101,901
Regional District of Central Kootenay: $279,143
Regional District of Central Okanagan: $198,749
Columbia Shuswap Regional District: $218,655
Comox Valley Regional District: $230,510
Cowichan Valley Regional District: $323,554
Regional District of East Kootenay: $192,706
Fraser Valley Regional District: $203,923
Regional District of Fraser-Fort George: $176,442
Islands Trust: $127,336
Regional District of Kitimat-Stikine: $183,089
Regional District of Kootenay Boundary: $144,392
Metro Vancouver: $268,001
Regional District of Mount Waddington: $102,307
Regional District of Nanaimo: $345,913
North Coast Regional District: $102,916
Regional District of North Okanagan: $203,006
Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen: $232,650
Peace River Regional District: $217,309
qathet Regional District: $124,173
Squamish-Lillooet Regional District: $121,296
Strathcona Regional District: $149,293
Sunshine Coast Regional District: $174,383
Thompson-Nicola Regional District: $231,183

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