Will lower development fees lead in B.C. to a surge in new homes?

Thanks to a perfect storm of political and economic forces, B.C.’s real estate market has been going through a bit of a slump lately.

But earlier this month, the provincial government gave the homebuilding industry a much-need shot in the arm when it introduced a new initiative designed to lower upfront costs for B.C. builders, provide more flexible capital for developers—and help get more new homes built sooner for prospective buyers.

What’s the big idea?

Announced by B.C. Housing Minister Ravi Kahlon on July 2, 2025, the new program allows developers in British Columbia to defer 75% of their municipal development fees for up to four years or until their buildings are occupied.

Starting in January 2026, B.C. homebuilders will also be able use “on-demand surety bonds” as financial guarantees to access credit more freely, resulting in greater financial liquidity and potentially lowering the carrying costs for new building projects.

The goal of the initiative is to help developers use their resources to get shovels in the ground on more new projects now, rather than having to tie up all their available capital in just one or two projects until they can recoup their investment. The hope is that these changes will also help boost the number of new housing units being built in B.C. by giving developers more time and flexibility to pay development fees on their projects to local municipalities.

Will it work?

Given the market slowdown that’s been happening in nearly every corner of the province this summer, the jury’s still out on how large an impact these changes will have, and whether they will be enough to help turn the housing market’s downward momentum around.

But in a telling show of solidarity, even the municipalities that will now have to wait a little longer to collect their fees have thrown their support behind the initiative.

At the press conference to announce the policy change, for example, Minister Kahlon was joined by Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke and Delta Mayor George Harvie, both of whom enthusiastically endorsed the initiative.

In an interview with The Province newspaper, Langley Township Mayor Eric Woodward also lauded the new policy, saying it was something that municipalities like his have been pushing to make happen for some time.

What’s next?

Given all of the different factors at play (and how quickly the winds can change in B.C. when it comes to real estate), we may not know the full significance of this initiative for months or even years to come.

But the consensus among both builders and industry watchers seems to be that anything that can help increase certainty, lower upfront costs and encourage more construction is bound to be a good thing for the homebuilding industry, the B.C. real estate market—and would-be homebuyers across the province.

Questions?

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