CMHC reports Greater Victoria’s 3,771 housing starts from January to September 2025 are 23% higher than the 3,066 starts in 2024. The vast majority are condo/apts representing 83% of new housing – at 3,335 up from 2,548 last year. These are mostly projects that were in the hopper a year, two-or-more ago. They benefit from economy of scale as construction costs continue to be enormously high due to govt costs like DCC’s, ACC’s, permit fees, regulatory hurdles and slow approval processes.
New single family homes at 211, are slightly lower than 216 last year, but still much lower than the 518 five years ago, representing a 59% decline. Duplexes/row housing are up 32% over last year from 302 to 445.
Year-to-date, Langford leads in new home construction at 1,268 units followed by Victoria 929, Saanich 587, Colwood 448, Sooke 174, Esquimalt 204, Oak Bay 55, Central Saanich35, Sidney 27, North Saanich 13, View Royal 3, Highlands 2, Metchosin 0.
Presently 45% of the CRD’s new housing is in two West Shore communities – Langford and Colwood. They also have 61% of all missing middle housing such as townhomes and duplexes, as well as 36% of new single family homes.
Municipalities clearly not pulling their weight are View Royal, Metchosin, Highlands, North Saanich, Central Saanich, Sidney. Most have anti-housing councils and North Saanich declined to meet with BC’s housing ministry staff to discuss the municipality missing their housing targets and deficiencies in their reports.
The Ministry of Housing and Municipal Affairs appears to be ignoring some municipalities’ intransigence when it comes to contributing to housing in the community.