It would be a mistake to repeal B.C. housing legislation, says UBC expert

A housing expert says the current glut of empty condos in British Columbia should not be seen as evidence that the housing market is working, and she warns against repealing key parts of the out-going NDP government's housing legislation.

Alexandra Flynn, who teaches housing policy at the University of B.C., says the province still needs a lot of homes for low-to very-low-income residents, despite thousands of empty units in B.C. 

She says the New Democrat government of Premier David Eby introduced "some of the most transformative housing" changes, which legalized higher densities on single-lot properties in municipalities with a population above 5,000 people. 

The legislation came with housing targets, which have been heavily criticized by local governments, and premier-designate Lorne Doerkson has promised to repeal the legislation, saying local communities have a better sense of their needs. 

Flynn says the legislation needs work - not in terms of substance - but with how housing targets are communicated.

She says the law can be a "powerful tool," and while some parts of it need to be fixed, it would be a mistake to just throw it away.

"This is not the time to be thinking about what to repeal," she says. "It's a time to set the course for a new agenda moving forward."  

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 4, 2026.

By Wolfgang Depner | Copyright 2026, The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.