The Province of British Columbia has issued a Housing Target Order for the City of Courtenay, one of several communities included in the fourth round of orders by the Province. The B.C. government originally announced their intent to set these new housing targets on May 29, 2025.
The housing targets, effective September 1, 2025, are based on need and projected growth.
news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2025HMA0065-000778
The Province has advised that the new housing targets are an outcome of the Speculation and Vacancy Tax that was expanded to include Courtenay earlier this year.
Courtenay Mayor Bob Wells said the City is already setting a high standard for the pace of new development and its support for housing initiatives, working closely with both non-profit organizations and the broader development community to deliver more housing.
“We championed the Speculation and Vacancy Tax to help address housing needs in our community,” said Mayor Wells. “The Province has told us we’re doing a good job with our housing approvals, and is aware we’ve met all the land use standards they’ve enacted to date. We’re confident that we’re well on our way to meeting these new housing targets.
”On average, we’re seeing more than 400 new dwelling units built each year, and our vacancy rate has improved significantly,” Wells added. “Council is very proud of this work and the relationships the City has built with the development community and non-profit organizations, who are essential to this success. To support these collective efforts, we need funding from other levels of government to help with the new and upgraded infrastructure required for this mandated growth.”
The five-year housing target for the City of Courtenay is 1,334 net new completed housing units.
As an outcome of the Housing Supply Act and Housing Supply Regulation implemented in 2023, the Province of B.C. has the authority to set housing targets in municipalities with the greatest need and highest projected population growth.
The Housing Target Order requires the City to report annually on progress on new housing units as well as municipal actions and partnerships to enable more housing supply.
Since 2022, the City of Courtenay has:
- removed the need for Council approval on minor variances.
- reduced parking requirements for purpose-built rental and non-market housing.
- waived development cost charges (DCCs) for non-market housing.
- allowed secondary suites and accessory units in residential zones.
- rezoned over 60 per cent of properties in the city to allow small-scale, multi-unit housing which permits up to four units.
- eliminated rezoning requirements for secondary suites and accessory units, adding nearly 1,700 new homes in the city since 2021.
- approved a series of significant rezoning applications to permit additional housing supply in the City
Courtenay’s Housing Needs Report released in 2024 sets a target vacancy rate of at least 3 per cent. As of 2024, and for the first time in several years, the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) reported a 4.6 per cent vacancy rate in Courtenay.
The City is in the process of updating the Official Community Plan by the end of 2025 to meet the targets set in the Housing Needs Report, a requirement set by the B.C. government for all local governments in B.C. In 2023, the City updated the development procedures bylaw to align with provincial legislation, and will be making further amendments to align with the most recent B.C. government requirements.
The City of Courtenay will continue working with the provincial and federal governments to explore infrastructure funding opportunities.
Learn more about the B.C. government’s housing targets
Fast Facts
The City of Courtenay is making significant progress on new housing.
- In 2024, there were 625 net new housing units, including single-detached, secondary housing, duplex, townhouses and apartments.
- Courtenay’s Housing Needs Report sets a target of 2,472 new units by 2026. As of 2024, Courtenay has already achieved 68 per cent of that target.
- Courtenay has averaged 422 new housing units per year since 2021.