According to CMHC, year- to-date, (Jan to Feb 2026) Greater Victoria has posted 560 new homes, a 128% increase from the 246 last year (Jan to Feb 2025). That said, CMHC reports 153 housing starts in February 2026 in Greater Victoria. This is a 62% decline from 407 in January 2026, however one month is insufficient data to determine a trend. In February 2025, there were only 141 starts and the year ended in very high numbers.
Moving forward, CMHC says, “In February, the six-month trend in housing starts was essentially flat, indicating that the trend in new construction activity remains relatively steady despite ongoing monthly volatility.”
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 February report shows 14 single family homes, 34 row/townhomes, duplexes, etc, and 105 condos/apts.
Duplexes/row (missing middle) housing is up 59% from last year due to Bill 44 – provincial rezoning municipalities to accommodate missing middle housing. Despite protests from some municipalities, their zoning bylaws appear to 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 Councillors Brice and Brownoff are proposing a motion to remove housing targets even though more new homes were built during three years of targets vs the previous six years. Both voted to oppose reviewing an industry study on the CRD board, which would have outlined the impact of new DCCs on housing affordability.
Of the 153 new homes in February: Victoria – 92, Langford – 27, Saanich- 9, Oak Bay – 8, Colwood – 6, Esquimalt – 6, Central Saanich – 2, Sooke – 1, Metchosin – 1, North Saanich -1. Those with zero housing starts are Sidney, View Royal, Highlands.
Year to date, of the 560 new homes: Saanich – 154, Langford – 149, Colwood – 118, Victoria – 106, Oak Bay – 12, Esquimalt – 9, Sooke – 5, Metchosin – 3, North Saanich – 2, Central Saanich – 2. Those with zero housing starts in 2026 are Sidney, View Royal, Highlands.
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 in needed 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.