District of Metchosin Housing Needs Report

 

Overview

Housing Needs Reports are a way for communities to better understand their current and future housing needs. These reports can help identify existing and projected gaps in housing supply by collecting and analyzing quantitative and qualitative information about local demographics, economics, housing stock, and other factors.

In 2019, the Local Government Act mandated Housing Needs Reports in all BC municipalities and regional districts to assess current and anticipated housing needs. On February 1, 2021, Council accepted the District of Metchosin’s first Housing Needs Report. 

In 2023, further legislative amendments required municipalities and regional districts to prepare Interim Housing Needs Reports by January 1, 2025, using a standardized Housing Needs Report (HNR) Method to identify the number of housing units needed for 5 and 20 years. For more information on the legislation and regulations, please visit the Government of BC's website on Housing Needs Reports.

On November 25, 2024 Council received the District’s Interim Housing Needs Report. This interim report updates the District of Metchosin’s housing needs in accordance with provincial legislation and is an appendix to the District’s January 2021 Housing Needs Report. 

Next Steps

Municipalities must update their official community plans and land use bylaws by December 31, 2025, to accommodate the number of housing units identified. The 2021 Housing Needs Report and the 2024 Interim Housing Needs Report will be used to help shape the required updates to ensure sufficient housing capacity as per the identified housing needs. The first “regular” Housing Needs Reports are required to be completed by December 31, 2028, and every five years thereafter.