Historic 5 Corners in Chilliwack, BC
There’s been a lot of talk lately about the provincial government’s housing mandate and how it’s impacting communities across British Columbia, including here in Chilliwack. With so much noise, it’s hard to tell what’s really going on. This post breaks it down for you, offering an objective look at the situation and helping us understand the reality behind the rhetoric.
Let’s start with the basics. The Housing Supply Act is the provincial government’s way of addressing BC’s ongoing housing shortage. In plain terms, they’re telling cities, including Chilliwack, to build more homes. And they’re not being subtle about it. For Chilliwack, the mandate says we need to be building around 919 new housing units per year between 2024 and 2029—that’s about 4,594 homes over five years.
Now, you might be thinking, "That’s a lot of houses! Why are they pushing so hard?" It’s because we’re in the middle of a housing affordability crisis. Simply put, there aren’t enough homes for the people who want or need them, and that’s driving prices through the roof. The government wants to get more homes built, faster, to help ease that pressure.
If cities like Chilliwack don’t keep up with these targets, the province has ways to step in. They could make it easier to approve new housing developments, even if the local government is dragging its feet. Plus, not keeping up with these goals could lead to funding cuts or other penalties from the province. The bottom line? Building more homes is the only way to keep housing affordable and avoid provincial intervention.
Here’s where things get interesting. Back in 2014, Chilliwack laid out a plan for growth in something called the 2040 Official Community Plan (OCP). This plan predicted that the city would grow steadily over the next few decades, and it called for about 25,000 new homes by 2040.
At first glance, that sounds pretty similar to what the provincial mandate is asking for. The OCP anticipated that the city would need to build roughly 900 homes a year leading up to 2025, which is right in line with the current provincial target of 919 units per year. So, while the provincial mandate might seem aggressive, it’s not wildly different from what the city’s own plan had expected all along.
There were a few reasons Chilliwack planned for this kind of growth. First off, it’s a desirable place to live. Housing here is (or was) more affordable than Vancouver, and it’s a great spot for families, retirees, and people looking to settle in a more suburban or rural setting while staying close to Metro Vancouver.
The OCP also focused on urban densification—packing more homes into existing urban areas to protect farmland and maintain the city's character. It made sense at the time to plan for steady growth, and that plan still holds up today, even with the provincial mandate pushing us to move faster.
So, are we hitting those growth numbers? The short answer is: not really. Over the past couple of years, Chilliwack has seen a slowdown in housing development. In 2022, the city built around 793 homes, and in 2023, only 573 homes were added. That’s well below the 900+ units per year we were supposed to be building according to the OCP.
There are a few reasons for this slowdown:
One of the hot-button issues is whether it’s fair that housing units built on First Nations land aren’t counted toward Chilliwack’s housing targets. Some on the city council feel that this exclusion puts extra pressure on Chilliwack, since developments on First Nations reserves are growing, but those numbers don’t help the city meet its housing goals.
Here’s the deal: First Nations land is under federal jurisdiction, not the city’s, so it isn’t included in the city’s housing count. The 2040 OCP recognizes this and doesn’t factor those homes into its growth projections either. While it might feel unfair to some, this isn’t new—it’s how the system has always worked, and Chilliwack has to build enough homes within its own boundaries to meet the mandate.
A lot of people are wondering whether this mandate to build more homes will actually make things more affordable—or if it could somehow make things worse. It’s a fair question, and the truth is, there’s no simple answer. But let’s try to break it down.
Some folks are concerned that by pushing so hard to build more homes, we might actually be driving up costs. How? Well, if developers are forced to build quickly, they might cut corners, raise prices to protect their margins, or build homes that are more expensive than what many people can afford. That could mean more luxury condos or high-end housing developments that don’t address the needs of average families or lower-income residents.
Plus, construction costs are still high—materials are more expensive, and interest rates are making financing tougher for developers. These added costs could get passed down to buyers, leading to higher prices, even if more homes are being built.
On the other hand, not building enough homes is almost guaranteed to increase prices. Think of it this way: when there’s more demand for housing than there is supply, prices go up. That’s basic economics. If we don’t build the number of homes needed to keep up with population growth, especially as more people move to places like Chilliwack, the existing homes become even more expensive.
In fact, one of the biggest reasons we’re seeing high housing prices right now is because there aren’t enough homes available. Even though it’s tough to get a handle on what “affordable” really means when everything seems expensive, building more homes helps balance supply and demand, which should help ease price pressure over time.
Unfortunately, there’s no quick fix for affordability. More homes won’t make prices drop overnight, especially with the economic pressures developers and buyers are facing. But if we don’t build more homes, prices will likely keep going up as demand continues to rise. So while the housing mandate might not solve affordability completely, it’s an important step in the right direction.
The key will be making sure that affordable housing is a part of this new development—whether that’s through incentives for developers, subsidized housing, or zoning changes that encourage more diverse housing options for people at all income levels.
It can be tempting to think that if we just ignore all the noise around us—whether it’s from the province, rising prices, or population growth—that we could somehow avoid the changes happening to Chilliwack. But the truth is, we don’t live in a bubble, and the forces shaping our city are part of a much bigger picture.
There’s no getting around the fact that some of the biggest factors affecting Chilliwack’s housing market are completely out of our control. For example:
With all these external pressures, the idea that we could just sit back and do nothing doesn’t hold up. Change is coming, whether we like it or not, and not building enough homes won’t stop that change. If we don’t adjust, housing prices will continue to climb, rental markets will get even tighter, and Chilliwack could face more serious challenges with affordability.
This isn’t about losing what makes Chilliwack special. It’s about managing the growth that’s coming in a way that works for everyone. The OCP review process is our opportunity to shape how the city grows—embracing the changes we can’t avoid while making sure the community we love thrives in the years ahead.
The provincial housing mandate is pushing cities like Chilliwack to review their OCPs and zoning bylaws. This is actually a great opportunity for residents to have a say in how the city grows over the next few decades. The OCP review will help shape things like where new housing should be built, how we protect farmland, and what kind of developments make the most sense for our community.
If you live in Chilliwack, this is a chance to get involved. As we look at updating the OCP, it’s important to find a balance between growth and livability—ensuring that we meet housing needs without sacrificing the character of our city.
