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 doesn’t make the news is the municipal regulatory obstruction and high costs of building even one new home on a single family lot.
Homeowners undertaking renovations are similarly challenged by unnecessary municipal regulations and costs.
Some of the frustrating housing issues flying under the public’s radar and ignored by most councillors include:
- Lack of communication and coordination between municipal departments, especially Parks and Engineering resulting in conflicting requirements and avoidable delays;
- Elaborate, expensive stormwater systems required for simple, single family homes;
- Unnecessary engineering reports required for already proven practices such as spray foam installed by experienced technicians;
- An ongoing blizzard of regulatory minutiae offering no real benefit while adding costs and months of delays.
It is time to elect candidates with the knowledge to resolve the hurdles obstructing efficient and affordable new homes and renovations.
These issues will only be corrected if articulated at the council table and they become part of the public discussion.
They must no longer be buried in local government bureaucracies enabling councillors to claim plausible deniability.
Elected candidates with industry experience could help deliver efficient permit processes. Also, candidates willing to learn, with the courage to address bureaucratic challenges, would be a great asset.
Otherwise, homebuyers and homeowners will be subjected to unnecessary costs and delays to build and renovate in Greater Victoria.
At election time, when a candidate claims to support housing affordability, show them this column and ask how they plan to fix their bureaucracy, so you can build or renovate affordably.
This column appears Wednesdays in the Times Colonist.
Visit us at vrba.ca and careawards.ca. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.