Homes for people.
BC Builds partners with government, community and private landowners, and provides low-interest repayable loans, and grants to lower construction costs, speed up timelines, and deliver more homes that middle-income British Columbians can afford.
For landowners
Who want rental housing on land they own
For non-profit and private developers and owner-operators
Who want to develop, own, and operate rental homes
Housing Development Opportunities
Explore pre-zoned sites now accepting development proposals for rental housing
BC Builds is a housing program, delivered by BC Housing, to speed up the development of new homes for middle-income working people throughout British Columbia.
Today, the development of new rental housing is impacted by inflation, the cost of land, the cost of construction, and high interest rates. This can make financing and building new rental housing challenging.
BC Builds partners with government, First Nations, community, non-profit and private landowners, provides low-interest repayable loans and grants, and speeds up project timelines to reduce how long it takes to get a building from concept to construction.
Questions?
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- BC Builds is meant to help middle-income British Columbians – such as teachers, nurses, transit operators, construction workers, small business owners, and others – find housing they can afford, in the communities where they live and work.
- BC Builds delivers housing for households at the top end of current BC Housing program income eligibility and beyond, to meet the growing need for more housing for people in these middle-income ranges.
- BC Builds is not a traditional government housing program that provides ongoing subsidies to create affordability – there are other government and BC Housing programs that provide homes for low- to moderate-income earners.
- Rather, BC Builds acts to lower development costs so that rents will be attainable for households with incomes:
- $85,870-$136,210 for a studio and one-bedroom
- $138,770-$201,030 for a two-bedroom or large
- BC Builds brings together landowners and residential developers to speed up project development timelines.
- This is done by facilitating partnerships, supporting evaluation of proposals, streamlining development processes and by providing a dedicated team to work through obstacles as they arise.
- The goal of BC Builds is to move projects from concept to construction in 12-18 months, rather than the typical three-to-five years.
- Also, a key component of the initiative is to leverage underused public lands to create more viable rental projects, along with grant money to keep rents more affordable and get projects off the ground.
- Rental rates will be determined through an analysis of incomes, rents, and development costs within the community. That means rents will differ from community to community.
- In BC Builds buildings owned and operated by non-profit societies, First Nations development corporations, or public entities, where grants are provided, at least 20% of the homes will be rented at 20% below market rents, made possible through government construction financing and grants.
- For projects with non-profit partners, public housing corporations or First Nations-controlled development corporations receiving capital grants units must target eligible households for a minimum of 35 years.
- Non-profits are mission driven organizations and keep rents below market in perpetuity.
- The 35 years is set by the length of the mortgage.
- BC Builds was launched in February 2024 and the first completed housing is projected to be completed in 2026.
- A list of completed projects that are accepting applications for their first tenants will be made available on the Renters page.
- BC Builds rental listings will also be made available through traditional rental websites.
- If you are looking for low-income or supportive housing through BC Housing, it’s available on this page.
Simon Fraser University Case Study
This case study features:
- A detailed look at BC Builds and its first year of operations
- Tips and lessons for developing and implementing a similar program
- Suggestions for all orders of government that want to adapt or adopt parts of the BC Builds program to fit their context
BC Builds current sites and projects
BC Builds is hard at work in communities across British Columbia to get homes built for middle-income households and families. Use the map below to view projects that are currently underway.
Are you a developer or housing operator Looking to participate?
Please view current housing development opportunities seeking residential developers and housing operators.