Using Every Tool in the Kit

Amid strained affordability and pressure to meet an ambitious supply goal, BC’s Minister of Housing and Municipal Affairs, Christine Boyle, is counting on her experience as a city councillor and her efforts to reduce the wealth gap to help British Columbians attain the dream of home ownership. In early September, less than two months into the post, Minister Boyle spoke to LOCUS Magazine about why she’s optimistic for the future of housing in BC.

FVREB: The scale of BC’s housing challenge is huge—estimates range from roughly 250,000 homes over the next five years to as many as 600,000 over a longer horizon. Your government has laid a foundation with measures like small-scale multi-unit housing, transit-oriented density, housing targets, and updated development financing. But market volatility, tariffs, and some developer pullback are real headwinds. How do you keep momentum?

Christine Boyle: I strongly support the approach our government has taken: use every tool available so more homes are available across the province. We’re leading nationally on small-scale multi-unit housing, transit-oriented development, and housing targets with local governments. We’ve also focused on ensuring homes are actually lived in rather than sitting empty. Despite uncertainty—like US tariffs—we’ve seen encouraging indicators. Housing starts have been strong, purpose-built rental registrations are above the 10-year average, and we’re getting more traction on gentle density as local governments grow familiar with it. One reason our policy has worked is that it’s both proactive and responsive. We stay in close conversation with industry, with local governments, and with the federal government. The goal is simple: deliver homes for people. If conditions change, we adapt and keep building.

FVREB: Many municipalities say projects are difficult to “pencil” amid higher financing costs and softer condo markets. You and the Premier have also been clear about not returning to “Wild West” conditions driven by foreign speculation. If we need hundreds of thousands of homes, where does the capital come from?

CB: We aren’t going back to a market driven by foreign investment and empty condos. What I hear most from mayors, especially around housing targets, isn’t about reopening that door—it’s about infrastructure. Communities want to meet targets but need the funding to build complete neighbourhoods: reliable utilities, parks, services, and the amenities people expect within walking distance. On the supply side, the province is making historic investments in non-market housing. We’re still seeing solid numbers in purpose-built rental, and we’ve had good momentum on small-scale multi-family. But yes—the infrastructure piece is central to unlocking projects. The current “growth pays for growth” model and fees like Development Cost Charges (DCCs) can make financing hard, and we’re actively working with the federal government and municipalities on better solutions so housing and infrastructure get built together.

FVREB: What specifically do you need from the federal government?

CB: Two big things. First, a serious infrastructure partnership that’s designed to help communities hit their housing targets—funding that is predictable, timely, and aligned with how BC programs work on the ground. Second, a renewed federal role in housing itself, especially co-ops, non-profits, and supportive housing. Those investments build mixed-income communities and make the whole system work better. I’m encouraged that the federal Housing Minister understands BC’s local realities. We’ve had constructive conversations about how national programs can reflect what’s working here. There’s also strong interest in BC’s work to speed approvals and digitize systems, in pre-approved designs, and in prefabricated and modular approaches. I’m cautiously optimistic we can align and scale what works.

FVREB: Let’s talk about the development community. What do you expect from industry to help move projects forward?

CB: I appreciate the shift we’ve seen: more purpose-built rental and more small-scale multi-unit projects that reflect what communities need. Families want townhomes and multiplexes; seniors want downsizing options; not every solution is a condo tower. That broader spectrum of housing options is showing up across BC, and provincial policy has helped encourage it. We’ll keep working with industry to make those projects viable—faster permitting, clearer processes, and creative approaches that make the math work. I’m grateful for the innovation we’re seeing. When I travel the province, I love seeing the new housing forms emerging from that collaboration: policy creating room to build, and industry finding smart ways to deliver.

FVREB: You mentioned approvals and digitization. What progress are you seeing there, and how does off-site and prefabricated construction fit in?

CB: Speed matters. We’re modernizing approval systems through BC Housing and with industry partners—digitizing submissions, standardizing where possible, and creating tools that reduce friction. Pre-approved designs can save months. Prefab and off-site construction can accelerate delivery and create good jobs in BC at the same time. We’re working closely with the Ministry of Jobs and Economic Growth to build that capacity. It’s not a silver bullet, but combined with zoning reforms and faster approvals, it’s a powerful lever.

FVREB: Municipal collaboration is crucial, since so much happens at the local level. What are you hearing from mayors and councils, and how are you responding?

CB: They want to meet targets and build complete communities. That means homes plus the infrastructure that supports daily life—parks, community facilities, utilities—so people actually want to live there. We’re aligned on that vision. Our role is to help them deliver: keep approvals moving, support gentle density and transit-oriented areas, and address infrastructure funding with the federal government. Local leaders are also seeing the benefits of small-scale multi-unit housing now that it’s more familiar—there’s more momentum and faster turnaround in many places. The key is staying pragmatic and responsive: if a policy needs a tweak to get more homes built, we make the change.

FVREB: Workforce is the other big constraint. Even if we finance and approve projects, we need people to build them. What’s your plan to grow construction capacity?

CB: This is a core focus. We’re seeing a record number of people registering as apprentices, driven in part by Skilled Trades Certification for seven construction trades. Across government—through post-secondary and Future Skills—we’re creating pathways into durable, well-paid careers that our housing and infrastructure push requires. Concretely, the province invests about $107 million annually in trades education through SkilledTradesBC. That supports roughly 28,000 training seats across 90 trades programs, including over 45 Red Seal trades. This is about building a workforce that can deliver homes and the critical public infrastructure our communities need. On the private side, we’re streamlining where we can so those skilled workers are used efficiently—less time waiting on paperwork, more time building.

FVREB: Supply is essential, but people ask—does building more automatically make homes affordable? How do you protect affordability while adding supply?

CB: I take an “all of the above” approach. Yes, we must add supply across the spectrum; that’s why we’ve pushed so hard on rental, gentle density, and transit-oriented housing. But we also have to protect what’s already affordable and expand non-market options. The Rental Protection Fund is preserving older, more affordable rental buildings so people aren’t displaced. We’re making historic investments in non-market housing—non-profits, co-ops, supportive homes—so that mixed-income neighbourhoods can thrive and people find homes at price points that match their incomes. We’re also tackling speculation and vacancy so existing homes aren’t sitting empty. Bringing those units back online improves availability and helps on affordability right now. Affordability isn’t only housing, of course. Diversifying and strengthening the economy matters so people can find good jobs near where they live. This is a whole-of-government effort—housing, skills, jobs, municipal affairs—pulling in the same direction.

FVREB: Given the headwinds—financing costs, infrastructure gaps, labour shortages—are you still confident BC can deliver?

CB: I’m pragmatic and optimistic. We’ve set ambitious goals and we’re leading nationally on policy. We’ll keep partnering with local governments and industry, keep pressing for a better federal infrastructure deal, and keep refining processes so the right homes get built faster. When policies need to change, we change them. Our job is to deliver homes for people, and that’s what we’re going to do—by staying ambitious, responsive, and focused on real results in communities across BC.

FVREB: How will you measure whether this approach is working?

CB: Clear indicators matter. We track approvals timelines, units started and completed, and the share of purpose-built rental and below-market homes in the mix. We watch where homes are built—especially near transit—because location affects affordability and climate goals. Preservation counts too: protecting existing affordable rentals is as important as new supply. Finally, we look at lived experience—are people actually finding homes they can afford in their communities? Those outcomes guide our course corrections.