According to CMHC, year- to-date, (Jan to April 2026) Greater Victoria has posted 1,556 new homes, a 55% increase from the 1,003 last year (Jan to April 2025). That said, of the 864 new homes in April, 640 are apt/condos in Victoria. Many municipalities had single digit starts or zero. Those with zero housing starts are Sidney, North Saanich, View Royal, Highlands, Sooke, Esquimalt which is alarming.
This is the anecdotal information we are also hearing from local builders. VRBA’s Crystal Ball Housing Forecast held January 14, 2026 anticipates a slowdown in 2026, partly due to the highest supply of unsold units in 35 years. For those considering a new home, now is a good time to be talking to builders. Visit VRBA’s Expression of Interest.
CMHC’s April report shows 23 single family homes, 35 row/townhomes/duplexes, etc, and 806 apt/condos. From January to April, there were 78 single family, 175 row/townhomes/duplexes etc, and 1,003 apt/condos.
A continued bright spot is row/townhomes/duplex (missing middle) housing is up 20% from last year due to Bill 44 – provincial rezoning municipalities to accommodate missing middle housing. Despite protests from some municipalities, it’s clear their zoning bylaws have been responsible for obstructing small density housing suitable for families.
Some municipalities are still using high fees, setbacks, etc to continue to obstruct missing middle housing. The BC govt recently introduced legislation “to prevent local governments from excluding zones where small-scale, multi-unit housing should be allowed or making further restrictions that make it more difficult to build anything other than single-family or duplex housing for communities with more than 5,000 people, and within urban-containment boundaries.”
Saanich Councilors Brice and Brownoff proposed a motion to remove housing targets even though more new homes were built during three years of targets vs the previous six years. VRBA wrote a letter to council opposing their motion, which was subsequently derailed.
Brice and Brownoff also voted to oppose reviewing an industry study on the CRD board, which would have outlined the impact of new DCCs on housing affordability. As members of the CRD board, they voted to add up to $9,044 DCCs to new homes despite a study showing the costs would further slow down new housing.
Of the 864 new homes in April: Victoria – 645, Langford – 103, Colwood – 83, Saanich – 18, Oak Bay – 6, Central Saanich – 6, View Royal – 1, Metchosin – 1. Those with zero housing starts are Sidney, North Saanich, View Royal, Highlands, Sooke, Esquimalt.
Year to date, of the 1,556 new homes: Victoria – 762, Langford – 280, Colwood – Saanich – 195, Langford – 171, Colwood – 143, Oak Bay – 19, Esquimalt – 15, Sooke – 13, Sidney – 8, Central Saanich – 11, Metchosin – 5, North Saanich – 2, View Royal – 1, Highlands – 0.
Most municipalities with low or zero housing starts have anti-housing councils. North Saanich declined to meet with BC’s housing ministry staff to discuss the municipality missing their housing targets and deficiencies in their reports.
Since then, the ministry has appointed a “housing adviser” to address the challenges in the municipality. The same is needed in Sidney and View Royal.
The Ministry of Housing and Municipal Affairs appears to be ignoring some municipalities’ intransigence when it comes to contributing to housing in the community. In addition, the BC govt’s claims to support housing affordability are not credible when they approve DCC bylaw increases of 258% as they did last year in Victoria. As well as the CRD’s recent DCC increase of up to $9,044 per new home.