Building & Industry News
CMHC: New Housing Declines 30% in Greater Victoria
Last month, we were concerned housing starts declined 20% Jan to June 2026 in Greater Victoria. This month it's worse. According to CMHC, year- to-date, (Jan to July 2026) Greater Victoria has posted 2,038 new homes, a 30% decrease from the 2,920 last year (Jan to...
VRBA Announces 2026 CARE Awards Finalists
VICTORIA – Finalists for the 2026 Construction Achievements and Renovations of Excellence (CARE) Awards of Vancouver Island were announced today by the Victoria Residential Builders Association (VRBA). “Congratulations to the CARE Awards Finalists representing...
Join VRBA During Annual Renewal
Now is the time to join the Victoria Residential Builders Association during our annual membership renewal. Our daily mission is to be effective, efficient and affordable for our members. We are the builders’ leading voice for housing affordability, consumer...
New Housing Declines 20% in Greater Victoria
According to CMHC, year- to-date, (Jan to June 2026) Greater Victoria has posted 1,872 new homes, a 20% decrease from the 2,339 last year (Jan to June 2025). The bellwether for housing supply in Greater Victoria is Langford, which is down 62% to 329 from 860 new...
Watch for 2026 CARE Awards Finalists
Watch for our announcement of the 2026 CARE Awards finalists in early August appearing in the Times Colonist and other media. From August 31 to September 13, the finalists’ projects will be displayed at Hillside Centre and online at careawards.ca during the People’s...
$1.4 Billion for Housing Policy Nobody Wants
On March 26, Ontario announced a partnership with Ottawa to fund tax relief on new housing. On June 18, three months after Ontario’s deal, Prime Minister Carney and Premier Eby announced a deal for BC. But BC homebuyers, paying the highest home prices in Canada, did...
Rising Excavation Costs Boost Housing Prices
A lack of housing affordability is directly linked to the cost of construction. This includes the rising costs associated with disposing of excavated material to build new housing in Greater Victoria. In 2023, the BC government’s new soil testing regulation made it...
Carney/Eby Reject GST Relief for BC Homebuyers
On March 26, Ontario announced a partnership with Ottawa to fund tax relief on new housing and a reduction of municipal development charges. At the time, we said, “If housing unaffordability is a consideration, BC should have been first out of the gate announcing a...
Wanted: Municipal Candidates with Industry Knowledge
BC’s municipal elections are October 17, 2026 and the need has never been greater for candidates with industry knowledge about housing challenges. This is not just about rezoning for density, which is often the focus of news stories and the general public. What...
Housing Starts Up and Down in Greater Victoria
According to CMHC, year- to-date, (Jan to May 2026) Greater Victoria has posted 1,789 new homes, a 30% increase from the 1,379 last year (Jan to May 2025). That said, there were only 233 new homes in May 2026 compared with 376 in May 2025 and 864 last month (April...