Here are the 10 municipalities B.C. has put on a watch list for housing targets

The provincial government has set its inaugural list of municipalities where it will be taking a more aggressive step in setting higher housing targets for city halls — and threatening action if they don't comply.  

"Municipalities are our critical partners in addressing the housing crisis and building healthy, economically viable
communities," said Minister of Housing Ravi Kahlon, announcing the list.

"In the coming weeks, municipalities will meet with staff to finalize what targets will look like."

The communities named by the government are:

• Vancouver
• West Vancouver
• Port Moody
• District of North Vancouver
• Delta
• Abbotsford
• Victoria
• Saanich
• Oak Bay
• Kamloops

Kahlon said the 10 communities were chosen using a complex metric that weighed 10 different factors, including the number of affordable rentals in a community, housing density, proximity to amenities and waitlists for social housing. 

The province will now work directly with municipalities in establishing housing targets that will be made public, and municipalities will then have to show the province the action they've taken to meet those targets over the rest of 2023, utilizing the province's new digital permitting processes. 

Kahlon said if the province feels municipalities haven't taken sufficient action by early 2024, it could take further oversight over some of those housing decisions. He did not provide specifics as to what that oversight might be.

Municipalities mostly on board

Many of the communities on the list said they were eager to work with the government to establish housing targets and carry them out. 

"Port Moody welcomes the opportunity to provide the number of housing units necessary to keep pace with demand," said Mayor Meghan Lahti, the leader of a community that saw its population stay the same between the last two census counts despite the introduction of a rapid transit line. 

"We recognize that there are opportunities to diversify our housing stock with affordable and seniors housing, as well as accessible and family-friendly units."

But Kahlon acknowledged that not every community fully endorsed the province's actions. West Vancouver Mayor Mark Sager, whose community has regularly had heated debates around population growth and development, said he was taking a wait-and-see approach.

"If we can find ways to improve housing opportunities for our employees, for the employees of our school district, for essential service workers ... that's going to be a good thing," he said.

"But there's no point in just building homes that aren't occupied. I would really love to see some details."