B.C. adopts new housing permit strategy to get more homes built quickly

British Columbia is adopting a “one-stop-shop” approach to housing-related permits to help speed up the approval process to build more homes, officials announced Monday.

The new Permitting Strategy for Housing means B.C. will have a cross-ministry team dedicated to prioritizing housing permits, which are currently handled by multiple ministries with different processes.

“As we turn things around and start to build record levels of housing, we are taking action today to remove obstacles to constructing new homes that families desperately need,” Premier David Eby at a press conference Monday.

Indigenous-led projects, BC Housing applications and multiple-unit developments will be given priority, according to the province.

Even a developer invited to speak at Eby's event expressed frustration with the current process. Rick Ilich, the CEO of Townline Homes, called the permitting system "inconsistent," adding in some cases it can take years to get the green light.

Eby said the process currently takes around two years, on average. Asked several times about what target or commitment the province could make in turning around provincial housing permits, Eby said the goal was to reduce waits by months, if not years.

The exact process hasn't been detailed, and Eby said the new Housing Action Task Force would look for ways to expedite permit and authorization decisions as it looked to deal with more than a thousand applications currently in the system. He said ultimately it would be the province's goal to let developers know, in advance of purchasing land, how long it could take to obtain permits.

Housing critic Karin Kirkpatrick said while she welcomed the change, she was disappointed with the lack of details. She also pointed out fast-tracking provincial permits was one the "very detailed, very strategic" recommendations made following a 2019 review. https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2019MAH0139-001844

"There`d been a whole number of stakeholders who provided input and yet now we`re looking at one (recommendation) out of 38 rolled out after four years," Kirkpatrick told CTV News.

The government says priority will also go to housing projects in municipalities that are subject to the speculation and vacancy tax “because they have the greatest housing shortages, lowest vacancy rates and most demand for housing.”

Forty-two new positions have been created to make up the team expediting this new strategy, with the goal of increasing that number to 203.

“Establishing a single-application approach is an investment that will deliver more housing for people faster, and this will also result in immediate and future benefits for the entire natural resources sector,” Nathan Cullen, minister responsible for water, land and resource stewardship said in the release.

While the approach is being established over the coming months, the government says its Housing Action Task Force will work to accelerate permit and authorization decisions.

The latest plan to tackle B.C.’s housing crisis follows Thursday’s announcement that the province is establishing a $500-million Rental Protection Fund to help housing non-profits buy affordable rental buildings that are at risk of being redeveloped into high-end housing.

When he was sworn in as premier in November, Eby made housing a standalone ministry and pledged to make “meaningful progress to make sure everyone in B.C. can afford a good home.”

In the months since, the provincial government has introduced new measures to build more homes, remove restrictions on short-term rentals and bar most age-limits in stratas.

Monday’s announcement is the eighth by the Housing Ministry since Eby took office. Eby served as the housing minister before leaving to run for the leadership of the NDP.

"It seems that they may have been saved up so our new premier can come in and make a whole bunch of announcements that make it look like there`s a lot happening right now, but there isn't," added Kirkpatrick.

To actually get more homes built, Eby acknowledged municipalities will also need to work on their processes. Permit turnaround times were a key issue in October's municipal elections.

Ilich said he welcomed the focus on the issue, noting the challenges faced at the city and town level.

"When files cross counter and your file manager goes on vacation for four weeks, or maternity leave, or maybe stress leave, that file sits there and that`s not how real world works," added Ilich.