BC (PROVINCE)

The British Columbia government is launching a three-year pilot of the Secondary Suite Incentive Program, which offers forgivable loans of up to 50% of renovation costs, up to $40,000, for homeowners to add a secondary suite or accessory dwelling unit on their property. The program aims to create thousands of affordable rental units across the province.

• The program will be available starting May 2, 2024, to homeowners in most B.C. municipalities and regional districts.
• Eligible homeowners must have a combined gross annual income of less than $209,420 and a property value below the homeowner grant threshold ($2.15 million in 2024).
• Approximately 1,000 homeowners per year will receive the forgivable loans, adding 3,000 new rental units at below-market rates.
• The province has also passed legislation to allow secondary suites and accessory dwelling units in every community in B.C.

• Funding: Budget 2023 allocated an additional $91 million over three years to support the Secondary Suite Incentive Program pilot.
• Eligibility: The program will be available in most incorporated municipalities and 15 regional districts, with the potential for further expansion in the future.

• Premier David Eby: "This new incentive program makes it possible for homeowners to add a rental suite to their home, creating thousands of affordable rentals."
• Housing Minister Ravi Kahlon: "This program will add thousands of long-term, below-market rental homes to urban and rural communities across B.C."

The Province of British Columbia is moving forward with the Surrey Langley SkyTrain project, selecting a preferred proponent team to design and build the systems and trackwork. The project is a 16-kilometer extension of the Expo Line from King George Station to Langley City Centre, the first rapid-transit expansion south of the Fraser River in 30 years.

• Preferred Proponent: Transit Integrators BC, a team comprising AtkinsRéalis Major Projects Inc., AtkinsRéalis Canada Inc., and Western Pacific Enterprises Ltd., a Surrey-based company with experience in previous SkyTrain projects.
• Project Scope: The project includes work on the guideway and stations, as well as the relocation of power lines and preparation for major construction this year.
• Timeline: Major construction on the Surrey Langley SkyTrain is expected to begin this year, with the project being delivered through three separate contracts.

• Travel Time: Once complete, the project will allow passengers to travel between Langley City and Surrey Centre in approximately 22 minutes, and between Langley and downtown Vancouver in just over an hour.
• Accessibility: The project will provide high-quality and low-cost transportation for people in Surrey, Langley, and across Metro Vancouver.

The British Columbia government has identified 20 additional priority municipalities to receive housing targets for the next five years, as part of its efforts to address the housing crisis in the province. These communities are located in high-growth, high-need regions and will work with the province to meet their targets, which will be announced this summer.

• Central Saanich
• Chilliwack
• Colwood
• Esquimalt
• Kelowna
• City of Langley
• Maple Ridge
• Mission
• Nanaimo
• New Westminster
• North Cowichan
• North Saanich
• City of North Vancouver
• Port Coquitlam
• Prince George
• Sidney
• Surrey
• View Royal
• West Kelowna
• White Rock

• Historic $1-billion Growing Communities Fund: To help 188 local governments address population growth
• $10 million for a second intake of the Local Government Development Approvals Program: To support municipalities
• $51 million in grant-based funding: To support activities or projects, such as updating existing zoning bylaws, housing needs reports, and official community plans

• The Housing Supply Act was introduced in 2023 to establish housing targets for the first 10 priority municipalities
• Municipalities are taking action to approve housing quicker through the implementation of provincial legislation, such as allowing small-scale multi-unit housing, designated Transit-Oriented Areas, updated Official Community Plans, and streamlined local-development approval processes

The British Columbia government is introducing new regulations to improve the maintenance and repair of common property in strata corporations. The key changes include requiring depreciation reports every five years, instead of the previous three-year cycle, and mandating that these reports be obtained from qualified professionals.

• Existing strata corporations with five or more strata lots must obtain depreciation reports on a five-year cycle, effective July 1, 2024.
• All strata corporations must obtain depreciation reports from qualified professionals, including engineers, certified reserve planners, architects, appraisers, and quantity surveyors, effective July 1, 2025.
• Owner-developers of new strata corporations with five or more strata lots will be required to contribute a minimum of $5,000, plus $200 per strata lot, up to a maximum of $30,000, towards the cost of the first depreciation report, effective July 1, 2027.
• Strata corporations with four or fewer lots will continue to be exempt from the depreciation report requirement.

• Strata corporations formed between July 1, 2024, and June 30, 2027: Must obtain depreciation reports within two years of the first annual general meeting and every five years thereafter.
• Strata corporations formed on or after July 1, 2027: Must obtain depreciation reports within 18 months of the first annual general meeting and every five years thereafter.
• Strata corporations without depreciation reports or with reports received prior to December 31, 2020: Must obtain reports by July 1, 2026, if located in Metro Vancouver, Fraser Valley, or the Capital Regional District (excluding the Gulf Islands and other islands), or by July 1, 2027, if located in other areas of the province.

The Government of British Columbia is providing up to $300 million in new capital funding to TransLink, the regional transportation authority for Metro Vancouver, to support the purchase of new buses and service expansion in the 2024 Investment Plan.

• The funding will enable more frequent bus service, reduced overcrowding, and extended hours of operation for more than 60 routes, as well as improved late-evening availability for HandyDART services.
• This investment builds on the province's previous $479 million contribution last year, which is being used for immediate service increases.
• The funding supports the region's growing population and the need for a transit system that can keep up, particularly in fast-growing communities like Surrey and Langley.

• SkyTrain Expansion: The SkyTrain network will see a 27% increase with the Surrey-Langley SkyTrain extension and the Broadway Subway project.
• Bus Rapid Transit: New bus rapid transit services will be introduced along various corridors in Metro Vancouver, featuring improved rider amenities, dedicated bus lanes, and greater efficiency.

The British Columbia government has introduced new regulations to enhance safety for cyclists and other vulnerable road users. The changes include a requirement for drivers to maintain a minimum passing distance of 1 meter when passing cyclists and 1.5 meters on highways with a speed limit above 50 km/h.

• Safe Passing Distance: New regulations require drivers to maintain a minimum passing distance of 1 meter when passing cyclists and other vulnerable road users, and 1.5 meters on highways with a speed limit above 50 km/h.
• New Class of E-Bikes: People 14 and older will be able to use a new class of e-bikes with lower power and speed limits.
• Mobility Devices: Regulations will clarify that mobility devices are an extension of the person, who is already considered a pedestrian under the Motor Vehicle Act.
• Automated Vehicles: Regulations will bring into force a prohibition against the operation of fully automated self-driving vehicles unless provincially authorized.

• The changes improving safety for vulnerable road users and regulatory changes for mobility devices will come into effect on June 3, 2024.
• The introduction of the new class of e-bikes and the framework for regulating automated vehicles will come into effect on April 5, 2024.
• The Province will also start a four-year safety review for electric kick scooters on April 5, 2024.

The British Columbia government is introducing new measures to help local governments build more affordable and livable communities, including tools to accelerate development approvals, require affordable housing in new developments, and protect tenants facing displacement due to redevelopment.

• Local governments will be able to require affordable housing units in new developments.
• Municipalities must conduct a financial feasibility analysis to determine the appropriate density needed to offset the costs of providing affordable housing.
• The Province will monitor the implementation of inclusionary zoning and have regulatory authority to ensure it does not deter needed housing development.

• The proposed changes aim to provide more consistency and transparency when developers and local governments use density bonus in exchange for amenities or affordable housing.

• Local governments will have an increased range of site-specific works and services they can require in new developments, such as wider sidewalks, protected bike lanes, and end-of-trip facilities.
• These measures are intended to support sustainable transportation and climate resilience.

• Municipalities will be able to require developers to provide support for tenants facing displacement due to redevelopment, including financial assistance, help finding a new home, and opportunities for right of first refusal on units in the new building.
• The TPB is a result of consultation with cities and stakeholders, and was recommended by the Province's 2018 Rental Housing Task Force report.

These legislative changes are part of the Province's Homes for People plan and are expected to be published in guidance for local governments in fall 2024.

The British Columbia government is proposing amendments to the Residential Tenancy Act and the Manufactured Home Park Tenancy Act to better protect renters and landlords. The key changes include:

• No rent increases above the annual allowable amount will be permitted if a tenant adds a child under 19 to their household, even if the tenancy agreement states rent will increase with new occupants.

• Landlords will be required to use a web portal to generate a notice to evict a tenant for personal use, which will help educate landlords about the required conditions and risks of bad-faith evictions.
• The new process will allow for post-eviction compliance audits and provide information to the ministry about the frequency of these types of evictions.

• Since November 2022, wait times at the Residential Tenancy Branch have been reduced by almost 54%, with the dispute stream for unpaid rent and/or utilities decreasing by more than 52% from 10.5 weeks in February 2023 to less than 5 weeks in February 2024.
• The new Money Judgment Enforcement Act, coming into force in 2025, will make it easier and less costly for people to get the money owed to them from Residential Tenancy Branch decisions.

• Increased Notice Period: The amount of notice a landlord must give a tenant when ending a tenancy for personal occupancy will be increased.
• Longer Occupancy Requirement: The amount of time a landlord must occupy a rental unit after ending a tenancy for personal occupancy will be increased from 6 months to 12 months.
• Longer Dispute Period: The amount of time a tenant has to dispute a notice to end tenancy will be increased from 15 days to 30 days.
• Eviction Restrictions: Evictions for personal use will be prohibited in purpose-built rental buildings with five or more units, and evictions for the conversion of rental units to specific non-residential uses will also be prohibited.

The British Columbia government is taking action to ensure that new short-term rental rules will continue to provide more long-term homes for people, while helping certain existing strata hotels and motels continue providing overnight accommodation.

Upcoming regulations are intended to provide criteria for exemptions for strata hotels and motels from the Province's principal-residence requirement for short-term rentals, which is set to go into effect in many B.C. communities on May 1, 2024.

Exemptions for Strata Hotels and Motels

• Option 1: Before December 8, 2023, the strata hotel or motel was providing accommodation in a manner similar to a hotel or motel and on that date had and continues to have: a staffed front desk on site, one or more employees or contractors that provide housekeeping services for overnight accommodations, and a platform providing platform services available exclusively for the use of owners offering short-term rentals at the property.

• Option 2: Before December 8, 2023, the strata hotel or motel was providing accommodation in a manner similar to a hotel or motel, and more than one strata lot on the property is not able to be used as a principal residence by anyone due to a restriction under zoning, a rental management agreement, or a restrictive covenant.

• The exemption is expected to apply to all units on the property, providing consistent treatment.

• Newly constructed strata hotels and motels, first capable of being occupied on or after December 8, 2023, must have all three services listed in Option 1, in addition to one of the legal-use restrictions described in Option 2, to be exempt.

Homes for People Action Plan

• Action to turn more short-term rentals into long-term homes is part of the Province's Homes for People action plan, announced in spring 2023.

• The plan builds on historic action to deliver housing since 2017 and sets out further actions to deliver the homes people need faster, while creating more vibrant communities throughout B.C.

The British Columbia government is investing $24 million to support 80 active transportation infrastructure projects across the province. These grants will help local, regional, and Indigenous governments plan and build improved connections for walking, running, and cycling to work, school, and recreational centers.

• Completion of the Little River Multi-Use Trail, connecting the Sun River Neighbourhood and Ravens Ridge Park to Sooke's town core
• Safety improvements along Charters Road, including extended sidewalks, bike lanes, pedestrian crossing infrastructure, and boulevard enhancement

• Northern B.C.: Multi-use pathways, sidewalk extensions, lighting improvements, and trail widening in communities like Burns Lake, Chetwynd, Fort St. John, Taylor, Fort Nelson, Smithers, Houston, Lake Babine Nation, Dawson Creek, and Vanderhoof
• Kootenays: Multi-use pathways, sidewalk extensions, and end-of-trip facilities in Kimberley, Nelson, East Kootenay, Fernie, Creston, Revelstoke, and New Denver
• Thompson Okanagan: Multi-use pathways connecting communities in the Columbia Shuswap Regional District, Peachland, Summerland, and West Kelowna