Renters in British Columbia
It can be difficult to find a place to rent in many communities, even if you earn a decent middle-income salary. BC Builds is working to change that.
BC Builds will help middle-income British Columbians—such as teachers, nurses, transit operators, construction workers, small business owners, and others—find housing they can afford, in the communities where they live.
BC Builds creates housing that is attainable for household incomes ranging from $84,780 to $131,950 for a studio or one-bedroom home or $134,410 to $191,910 for a two-bedroom home or larger. These will vary by community to reflect local incomes and in some communities, some households may be below the bottom of the income range; households below the bottom of the range are not ineligible. These thresholds are calculated by picking up where other BC Housing programs that serve low to moderate incomes leave-off. The upper end of the income range will only be applicable in the highest income communities for 3- and 4-bedroom units. Those with incomes that fall within the lower end of these ranges are prioritized for a unit. Any household above the top of the range is ineligible for BC Builds housing.
Rental rates for BC Builds homes will be determined through an analysis of incomes, appraised market rents, and development costs within the community. That means rents will differ from community to community. BC Builds projects owned and operated by non-profit societies, First Nations development corporations, or public entities where grants are provided, will have at least 20% of units set at 20% below market rates.
People who earn less than community middle income range annually will be eligible to live in a BC Builds studio or one-bedroom home however, they would likely pay more than 30% of their income toward the rent and may be better served by BC Housing’s affordable rental housing and rental subsidy programs that serve low-and moderate-income households. If you are looking for low-income or supportive housing through BC Housing, please visit bchousing.org.
As BC Builds projects are completed in the coming years, rental opportunities will be managed by the non-profit and private developers operating the buildings. A list of completed projects that are accepting applications for their first tenants will be made available on this page.