British Columbia

Housing is one of the most talked-about issues heading into the 2026 local elections. Residents across BC are asking questions about affordability, neighbourhood change, and whether their community is keeping up with housing demand. Voters are looking for candidates who can speak about it with clarity and confidence.

This guide outlines the questions you may hear on the doorstep, the facts to help you answer them, and the myths and traps that trip candidates up. It covers getting the conversation started, homes for every stage of life, cutting through red tape, paying for growth and planning ahead, who gets to build and who gets left out, housing affordability, and innovation in construction methods.

It’s a companion to our voter’s guide, which residents may already have in hand when they come to talk to you.

Adding gentle density (laneway homes, duplexes, and other smaller homes) to existing neighbourhoods isn’t a new idea – but with our population growing much faster than our housing supply, it’s never been more urgent. As provincial requirements push toward greener, low-carbon homes, inspectors, designers, and contractors are translating those goals into buildable, code-compliant projects—work that gets more complex on the tight footprints and shared systems of gentle density builds.

This guide tackles the technical realities you’re already facing: managing setbacks on lots with minimal buffer, weighing high-performance assemblies against usable floor area, sizing electrical systems for multi-unit loads without triggering costly upgrades, maintaining air barrier continuity in high R-value envelopes, and balancing performance with street-level design. Every site has its own constraints, but sound collaboration across trades solves them. Download the guide for the details.

BC’s municipal elections are on October 17, and housing is on the ballot. Your local council controls what happens above the provincial baseline: how fast permits move, how much builders pay in fees, what parking and design rules apply, and whether the municipality partners with non-profits to deliver affordable homes. These decisions shape what actually gets built in your community, how much it costs, and who can afford to stay.
This voter guide, developed by Small Housing and Strong Towns, gives residents ready-to-use questions to ask candidates at all-candidates meetings, on the doorstep, or by email. Topics range from permitting timelines and standardized designs to infrastructure costs and support for regular homeowners, local builders, and non-profits trying to add housing. Each question includes a short explanation of why it matters.

New Poll: British Columbians Back Gentle Density – But Want More Action
A year on from BC’s landmark Small-Scale Multi-Unit Housing (SSMUH) legislation, new independent polling commissioned by Small Housing shows that British Columbians are clear: they want practical, family-friendly housing options in their neighbourhoods — and they want governments to keep pushing forward.

What People Told Us

• 80% say the Province should do more to restore housing affordability — with nearly half saying it should do a lot more.
• 83% support gentle density solutions like laneway houses, small multiplexes, and suites.
• 42% of homeowners with the right property would add a secondary unit if the process were simpler and cheaper.
• Yet most British Columbians (57%) have never heard of the Province’s standardized designs for small-scale housing — showing there’s still work to do to turn policy into real homes.

Unlocking the Potential

The appetite is there — but barriers still stand in the way. Our research highlights what’s working, what’s not, and what’s needed next to make gentle density a real solution for affordability across BC’s neighbourhoods.

Explore the Findings

Get the full picture in our survey snapshot. See what British Columbians really think, where the gaps are, and how we can keep the momentum going — together.

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Discover the New Standardized Designs for Gentle Density Homes in B.C.

In September 2024, the Government of British Columbia released a series of free, standardized designs to help facilitate the development of gentle density homes. These designs are versatile, using a “building blocks” approach that allows for customization. You can mix and match elements to add features like garages or additional bedrooms and stack up to three storeys high. The collection includes a range of options from duplexes and triplexes to quadplexes and townhouses, with various roof shapes and exterior finishes to blend seamlessly into existing neighborhoods. There are also designs for accessory dwelling units, like laneway homes, and adaptable cottages perfect for aging in place.

All designs comply with the 2024 B.C. Building Code and can be tailored to fit different lot sizes and site conditions across the province. The design files are available for free download and have been compiled into a convenient catalogue for easy browsing.

These standardized designs are expected to save time and reduce costs for local governments and builders, speeding up approvals and construction. This initiative is a key component of the Homes for People action plan, aimed at unlocking more homes faster by creating favorable conditions for rapid housing development.

Click the image to view the designs and access the full document.

Nestled near the Elders Centre in the Tl’etinqox Community, six cabin-like homes are placed to form a circle to represent the four sacred directions, the cycle of the seasons, the cycle of life and more, and to encourage community gathering.

Tl’etinqox began to develop Elders Cabins in 2019 to honour the intentions, prayers, and needs of their Elders by providing safe and affordable living spaces for them to age in place, at the heart of the community. Elder tenancy applications opened for the cabins in September 2020.