Homes for people.

• 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.

• 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.

BC Builds has experienced overwhelming interest from landowners, non-profit partners, municipalities, community groups, First Nations, and other groups. This has led to many projects in the pipeline in the program’s first year. Because of this, BC Builds does not expect to be able to make grants to new projects in 2025.

We are working to ensure those projects that are furthest along in the development process and ready to be accelerated to construction are prioritized for grant funding. BC Builds will keep working with potential partners to build a pipeline of future projects and is happy to meet with you and learn about your project.