Thursday May 29, 2025 | LANGFORD, BC [Posted at 5:20 pm PT | Updated 7:05 pm & 8 pm]
Analysis by Mary P Brooke | Island Social Trends
The City of Langford has been a leader in housing development for a long time — both in terms of volume and design.
In particular with the development of Westhills and areas of Happy Valley, Leigh Road, the Peatt Road area and the downtown core with smaller homes and multi-family, the development has been distinctive and steady since 2008.
The City’s population is currently over 50,000 and is expected to double by 2050. Many strategic plans have been developed by the City to deal with the complex array of impacts that population growth produce including with extensive public engagement through a Let’s Chat Langford platform.
Housing construction Building Permits are issued every month.
City’s response to BC Housing Ministry targets:
Today the City has understandably responded with frustration and disappointment as to the Province of BC’s Housing Targets Assessment.
In a news release issued around 10:45 am today, the Province said that a “fourth group of priority communities will soon be given housing targets”, and Langford was on that list. The full grouping of 10 more municipalities is: Burnaby, Coquitlam, Courtenay, Township of Langley, Langford, Penticton, Pitt Meadows, Richmond, Squamish and Vernon.
“Targets for these communities will be set following consultation and will reflect 75% of each municipality’s estimated housing need,” it was stated in today’s BC Housing Ministry news release titled: Housing targets deliver more than 16,000 homes, new priority communities added. That news release states that housing targets (three sets so far) have delivered 16,130 net new homes, built across the first 30 priority municipalities.
If there has been any drag in Langford on what the province considers to be progress with housing, the big picture view might consider the many areas of complex catch-up that the council elected in 2022 had to deal with (including the contract/financing of the YMCA building and sorting out a budget that doesn’t rely on drawing from the City’s contingency fund in order to keep property taxes artificially low).
There is also the consideration of developing the infrastructure that is needed to support the development of housing, such as water, sewer and roads as well as social infrastructure such as recreation, active transportation and child care.
As a region, the west shore (primarily Langford, Colwood and Sooke) has taken on the lion’s share of housing development for the populus Greater Victoria region. In fact, the CRD’s Regional Growth Strategy for decades has relied on the so-called western communities to take on the expected population growth of the region.
Langford has seen a growing population of newcomers from across Canada and newcomers from international locations. The City works hard to develop a welcoming community.
“Generally, the Province is very frustrating,” says Langford City Councillor Mary Wagner. “With the amount of housing already pre-zoned in comprehensive developments and other six-story and tower projects already zoned, I think it should be recognized that the Council has done everything it can. The developers need to do the building,” said Wagner in a statement to Island Social Trends today.
Provincial notes:
The Ministry of Housing notes the following as actions taken by the first 30 listed municipalities, toward meeting housing targets:
- Updating zoning bylaws and implementing provincial site standards to accommodate small-scale multi-unit housing and transit-oriented development.
- Updating official community plans to designate additional residential capacity.
- Updating housing needs reports using the Province’s standardized methodology.
- Identifying municipal lands for affordable housing projects and BC Builds opportunities.
- Creating housing strategies to address local housing needs.
- Delegating authority to staff for development permit and minor variance decisions.
- Updating development-approval processes and reducing processing time.
- Digitizing intake of complete building-permit applications.
- Upgrading database systems to collect and report on housing-targets data.
- Establishing partnerships with non-profit organizations, BC Housing, and First Nations.
Federal push:
It should be noted that with a new federal intention by Prime Minister Mark Carney to build more homes faster using prefab and modular housing, that housing targets in any community might be met faster.
But that it not a short term solution, and land availability is always a consideration.
More to come:
Island Social Trends will report further in the days ahead on how the Housing Ministry came to their conclusion about Langford.
Here is the full text of the City’s statement, released May 29, 2025:
CITY OF LANGFORD STATEMENT: PROVINCIAL HOUSING TARGETS ASSESSMENT
The City of Langford is disappointed by the Province of British Columbia’s decision to include Langford in the Housing Targets Assessment process. This decision fails to recognize the City’s long-standing leadership in housing development and growth management since incorporation and unfairly penalizes a municipality that has consistently exceeded expectations.
Langford is one of the fastest-growing communities in British Columbia and Canada and has delivered a disproportionately high share of new housing within the Capital Region.
Langford is planning for a population of 100,000 residents, nearly doubling its current population of approximately 58,000. The City’s 20-year housing need is projected at 17,000 new homes, which will accommodate approximately 42,000 new residents. This projection aligns with the expectations outlined in the CRD’s Regional Growth Strategy and the Province’s own housing legislation.
Langford is in the final stages of adopting a new Official Community Plan (OCP) following an 18-month process of rigorous research, expert consultation, and extensive community engagement. This OCP, recently given 1st reading by Council on May 20, is a forward-looking blueprint for the next phase of Langford’s growth that embraces high density development in well-connected urban areas such as the downtown core, surpasses requirements in the Province’s Small-Scale Multi-Unit Housing legislation, and addresses household affordability challenges through greater choice of housing options.
The OCP also links transportation and land-use planning to allow residents better access to essential community services and amenities through a variety of modes of transportation. Strategically increasing density in this manner will enable all levels of government, including Langford, the Capital Regional District, and the Province, to prioritize infrastructure investments in the right locations to avoid unnecessary urban sprawl that further stresses limited resources. Such density will require ongoing commitment from the Ministry of Transportation and Transit, as well as BC Transit, for funding and improvements to the transportation network to keep up with the increase in demand from residents.
In a bold move to address housing affordability, in 2022, the City of Langford launched the Langford Attainable Home Ownership Program, the first municipal-led initiative of its kind in Canada. This innovative program enables eligible buyers to purchase below-market condominiums in new developments, with access to a grant covering up to 75% of their down payment. The funding comes entirely from the City’s Affordable Housing Reserve Fund, which is supported by developer contributions required during rezoning. This is not a pilot or a promise, it’s a fully operational program that is already helping Langford residents become homeowners.
While the Province continues to impose housing targets and download more costs to local government such as E-Comm 9-1-1, which increases the burden on tax payers, Langford is delivering real, tangible solutions. The City is not only approving housing at record levels but also directly investing in making life more affordable for residents.
However, while Langford continues to do its part, the Province must continue to do theirs by supporting the services and infrastructure needed for rapid growth. While the City is extremely grateful to the Province for granting $13.36 million for 122 new childcare spaces in Langford, there is more work to be done.
To this end, Langford has requested a $1.7 million grant to fund tenant improvements for a new medical clinic with 10 available doctors, in a space that’s ready to go. To date, the City has received no commitment. This is a clearly provincial responsibility, not a municipal one.
Langford’s track record speaks for itself. Langford is the model municipality. The City will continue to lead with innovation and efficiency, but long-term sustainability requires the Province to invest in the infrastructure and services that support sustainable and livable communities.
===== RELATED:
- Liberal promise for a new home-building sector in Canada would help boost BC forestry sector (April 8, 2025)
- Six more CRD municipalities to get housing targets (April 23, 2024)
- View Royal & Oak Bay push back on housing legislation (November 17, 2023)
- Housing minister targets three-plex & four-plex development to ease housing demand (August 28, 2023)
- Saanich, Oak Bay & Victoria heading into housing collaboration with the Province (June 2, 2023)
- Targeting municipalities for increased housing density, dropping age restrictions on strata units (November 21, 2022)
- Another 58 affordable housing units underway in Langford (July 21, 2021)
- Alistair MacGregor: no federal dollars spent on housing in Langford (October 11, 2018)
- NEWS SECTIONS: LANGFORD | SOUTH VANCOUVER ISLAND | GREATER VICTORIA AREA | HOUSING