The BC Real Estate Association and a growing coalition of housing stakeholders are urging the BC Government to launch a Permanent Provincial Housing Policy Roundtable. The following FAQ touches on the purpose and timing of this call, as well as the roundtable’s potential benefits for British Columbians:
What is the purpose of the Permanent Provincial Housing Policy Roundtable?
The roundtable aims to create a structured, ongoing forum for collaboration between the federal, provincial, local governments, Indigenous housing organizations, non-profits, private sector experts, and academics. Its goal is to improve housing policy development and implementation through early, meaningful consultation and ongoing monitoring and evaluation of the effectiveness of existing policies.
Why is this necessary now?
Recent provincial housing legislation has been introduced rapidly, often without sufficient consultation. This has led to unintended consequences, such as zoning conflicts, infrastructure strain, and affordability issues, particularly for local governments tasked with implementation. We are in a housing crisis, and we need to treat it as such by working towards meaningful solutions collaboratively instead of in silos. Given the major course changes associated with legislation such as Bill 44, which enables multi-unit housing across much of the province, we need to make sure this abundance of recent legislation is implemented in ways that minimize negative unintended consequences and achieve greater housing affordability.
How will this initiative benefit rural municipalities?
Rural communities often face unique challenges, such as limited housing stock, workforce shortages, and infrastructure gaps. All too often, these unique difficulties are not considered appropriately in provincial housing policy. The roundtable ensures rural voices are not overshadowed by urban priorities and that policies are adaptable to diverse regional realities.
What’s in it for small municipalities?
Small municipalities frequently lack the capacity to respond quickly to new housing mandates. The roundtable offers a platform to raise concerns early, influence policy design, and avoid one-size-fits-all solutions that may be impractical or costly to implement.
How does this help medium-sized municipalities?
Many medium-sized communities are growth hotspots but often lack the tools or funding to manage that growth effectively. The roundtable would allow them to advocate for scalable, coordinated solutions, such as infrastructure support, land use flexibility, and funding alignment.
Why should large municipalities support this?
Large municipalities bear the brunt of housing demand and are often the first to implement new policies. The roundtable would provide a formal mechanism to shape legislation before it’s finalized, reducing friction and improving outcomes for both the province and cities.
Will this initiative delay urgently needed housing action?
No. The roundtable is not a veto body. Rather, it’s an advisory forum that is designed to improve the quality and feasibility of housing policies, not slow them down. In fact, better consultation can accelerate implementation by reducing confusion and resistance. The benefits of a more thorough, informed, and proactive policy-making process arguably outweigh the downsides of a hasty, uninformed policy-making process that results in the need to modify and even retract inadequate policy (which causes costly delays down the road). A roundtable advisory body would provide a lens through which unintended consequences can be mitigated, thereby reducing the likelihood of delays in policy implementation further down the road.
How will representation be determined?
The resolution calls for representation from ten to 15 carefully chosen policy representatives. This would include representation from market, non-market, and Indigenous housing providers, as well as representation from the municipalities. We do not want to prescribe exactly how many participants / organizations should participate in the roundtable. Since the purpose of this recommended roundtable is to more efficiently increase housing supply, we believe there should be strong representation from the building sector, which has crucial insights into the regulatory conditions needed to improve feasibility. The exact structure would be co-developed with stakeholders to ensure balanced and effective participation.
How is this different from the Union of BC Municipalities (UBCM) or existing
consultation channels?
UBCM is a vital advocacy body, but it is not a standing policy advisory group. The roundtable would function more like the Energy Step Code Council, which is focused, technical, and ongoing. This approach ensures continuous engagement rather than episodic consultation.
What if the province doesn’t listen?
While the roundtable would be advisory, its legitimacy comes from broad-based support. If municipalities, Indigenous partners, and housing experts speak with a unified voice, it becomes politically and practically difficult to ignore. We will continue to advocate for more consultative provincial housing policy development processes because they are so desperately needed.
Who’s included in the coalition of housing stakeholders supporting the
Permanent Provincial Housing Policy Roundtable?
The following municipalities and organizations have endorsed the roundtable to date:
- Aboriginal Housing Management Association
- Appraisal Institute of Canada – BC
- BC Non-Profit Housing Association
- BC Real Estate Association
- Canadian Mortgage Brokers Association of BC
- City of Coquitlam
- City of Port Alberni
- City of Port Coquitlam
- City of Richmond
- Comox Valley Chamber of Commerce
- Director-Electoral Area G, Regional District Fraser Fort George
- Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce
- Kamloops & District Chamber of Commerce
- Kekinow Native Housing Society
- LandlordBC
- Manufactured Home Park Owners Alliance of British Columbia
- New Westminster Chamber of Commerce
- North Central Local Government Association
- Pemberton & District Chamber of Commerce
- Quadra Homes
- South Cariboo Chamber of Commerce
- Surrey & White Rock Board of Trade
- The Greater Vernon Chamber of Commerce
- Vancouver Island Strata Owners Association
- WestShore Chamber of Commerce
What are the risks? Potential risks include:
- Tokenism: If not structured properly, the roundtable could become symbolic rather
than substantive. - Overrepresentation: Larger or more vocal stakeholders could dominate unless
balanced representation is ensured. - Bureaucratic drag: Without clear mandates and timelines, the roundtable could
become another layer of process.
These risks can be mitigated through transparent governance, rotating leadership, careful consideration of group size or effective use of sub-committees, and clear deliverables.
To learn more, visit BCREA
