Developers and advocates weigh in on B.C.'s housing targets

B.C. cities aren’t in the business of building homes; that’s what private developers do. And those private developers are preparing to get to work.

B.C. cities aren’t in the business of building homes; that’s what private developers do. And those private developers are preparing to get to work.

“Make no mistake, this will not be easy,” said Ravi Kahlon, B.C.’s housing minister on Tuesday at a press conference in Saanich.

Saanich, Victoria and Oak Bay now know how many homes need to be built within their borders over the next five years. Collectively, they’re supposed to build more than 10,000.

“We encourage all communities to take action today to speed up local processes and get more homes built for people faster,” said Kahlon.

“The province is just going for it, which is fantastic,” said Luke Mari, owner of Aryze Developments in Victoria.

Aryze has been focusing on building multi-family housing in the region for a number of years. If these targets are going to be met, it’s developers like him that will be building those units.

“Things are very challenging right now, there is no secret there,” said Mari.