By Cheryl Jahn

Housing

City creeps closer to housing quota

Jun 2, 2025 | 1:40 PM

PRINCE GEORGE – The Housing Supply Act was introduced in 2023 and set out targets for various kinds of housing in many BC communities, including Prince George.

“We had set targets for communities throughout the province, 47 communities to ensure that there was alignment between what the federal government wanted, with the province would like to see and what the local government is hoping to achieve,” explains Ravi Kahlon, Minister for Housing and Municipal Affairs. “The only way you can address a housing crisis or any crisis is an agreement on what we’re trying to solve, and we ensure that all local governments get targets. And if everyone meets them, then we’re going to be in a much better place when it comes to affordability in our communities.”

Prince George is one of the municipalities included in the Housing Target Order. This order requires Prince George to complete a minimum of 1,803 new housing units within five years. And, after six months Prince George has reached 76 per cent of it’s Year One target, reporting 532 reported instream units.

The minister has nothing but praise for the work the City has been doing to make it happen.

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“While Prince George is making good progress and you know, kudos to Mayor and Council, I’m sure they’re making some tough decisions, but they are well on their way,” says Kahlon. “And and if this path continues, it looks like they’ll meet their targets, maybe even get just slightly passed those targets as well, which is positive for Prince George, because we know that housing is needed, but it’s also positive for other communities, because then I can point to Prince George’s as an example of communities that are doing the right thing.”

But one City Councillor says it’s great that the City has achieved more than three-quarters, but there are challenges.

“It’s not something that we’re not doing, the City does not create houses,” says Councillor Garth Frizzell. “What we do is we make sure that we’ve got an environment where houses can be built. And what this is saying with that pat on the back from the minister on is that your development services is getting through those projects quickly.”

But in the end, the Minister says it is in everyone’s interest to ensure there is housing.

“When we have the amount of housing we need, our citizens benefit. It actually gives renters some power in the marketplace when there are more options available, when there’s limited housing. It’s renters who pay the price because those with means will get the housing and those without the means will be fighting for the last few units available.”

Minister Kahlon says there is a one-year target to address the housing targets set out by the province.