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Provincial Housing Needs Report

What you need to know

In 2019, the BC Provincial government introduced a new Housing Needs Report (HNR) requirement for all BC municipalities, later amended in November 2023 through Bill 44 .

Every 5 years, municipal councils must receive a report including data and analysis of local demographic and economic trends, as well as an estimate of housing units needed over 5 and 20 years. The Zoning and Development By-law and Official Development Plan must then proactively plan for enough capacity to accommodate the long-term 20-year housing needs. 

The next regular Housing Needs Report is due by December 31, 2028. An Interim Housing Needs Report is due by January 1, 2025.

At the same time, the Province has also set a Housing Target Order for the City of Vancouver and we adopted new 10-year housing approval targets in June 2024.

What's happeningWe’ve updated our Housing Needs Report

On November 12, 2024, we presented an Interim Housing Needs Report to Council to be formally received on January 1, 2025. The Interim HNR amended the 2022 report with new elements, in accordance with legislative changes introduced by the Province in Bill 44.

What's in a Housing Needs Report?

Housing Needs Reports provide key data and statistics on current population, households, economy, community, and housing, as well as projected demographic change over the next few years.

Core Housing Needs data, housing standards, and housing market indicators are used to consider the extent of housing need that is currently unmet. Population and household projections serve as a basis to anticipate future housing need.

In November 2023, the Province introduced a new standardized methodology for municipalities to estimate the number of housing units needed over 5 and 20 years to support a healthy housing market.

Key areas of need are further identified, including:

  • Non-market rental and co-op housing
  • Rental housing
  • Family housing
  • Shelters
  • Housing for people in or at risk of homelessness
  • Needs among disproportionately impacted communities
  • Housing in close proximity to transit infrastructure

Housing Needs Reports therefore provide important information on the state of local housing and anticipated future trends. They help tailor public policies accordingly, such as our upcoming Vancouver Official Development Plan.

Vancouver’s first Housing Needs Report (2022)

In April 2022, Council received Vancouver’s first Housing Needs Report, which included extensive data and analysis on the housing situation of Vancouver residents, and an estimate of current housing needs and future housing demand in Vancouver, based on the latest available Census data.

Learn more about Provincial
Housing Needs Reports Learn more about the
Housing Vancouver Strategy