Wednesday February 18, 2026 | VICTORIA, BC
by Mary P Brooke | Island Social Trends
BC continues to work on the housing supply challenge.
Today an announcement by BC Housing and Municipal Affairs Minister Christine Boyle announced that people will get the homes they need faster as the Digitally Accelerated Standardized Housing (DASH) program moves from concept to action less than three months after its public launch.
“Putting this made-in-BC innovation into action is helping us transform the way homes are built in B.C. and more quickly deliver the homes people need,” said Boyle.
“With this housing, women and children fleeing violence will have faster access to safe places to stay and rebuild their lives, and people will be able to walk through the doors of their new, affordable rental homes even sooner,” she said.
Boyle was accompanied at the podium by federal Housing and Communities Minister Gregor Robertson. Local Victoria MP Will Greaves emceed the media event held at the BC Legislature toay.
Greaves said today’s announcement was “another step forward towards tackling the housing crisis that is facing all Canadian provinces, territories and cities”.
“Canada’s new government was elected with a mandate to build,” said Greaves. He said the federal Liberal government is partnering with local and provincial governments. Strategic investments in housing, transit and infrastructure will continue by the federal government, said Greaves. “These are critical to building resilient communities where everyone can thrive,” he said.
Housing challenges continues:
“We have seen a challenging in housing and homelessness for many years now,” said federal Housing and Communities Minister Gregor Robertson today.
“The crisis continues to deepen. Sadly, it is a result of three decades of under-investment in affordable housing and solutions for homelessness,” said Robertson.
Evolving approaches to housing supply:
The government says that innovation is a cornerstone of the BC NDP’s Homes for People Plan, through which the Province has more than 95,000 homes delivered or underway across BC since 2017.
In 2018 to 2023 the push was on engaging with the private housing development sector to build as much as possible, including affordable housing. A shortage of trades became apparent after the pandemic, which slowed down the progress of both residential and commercial projects.
A speculation and vacancy tax was unpopular with property investors but has proven to generate revenue and free up some homes for rental.
In 2024 the province enacted a significant swath of new legislation to create new homes in other ways including ‘instant supply’ by disallowing the use of existing houses and condos for short-term rental (which came into effect May 1, 2025).
In 2024 there was also a requirement introduced for municipalities to meet certain housing supply targets and there was legislation allowing for higher density along transit corridors.
In 2024 BC Builds was introduced, to boost housing development by partnering with a range of stakeholders, and by utilizing the available of land available in other ways including building on federal crown land.
As the impact of tariffs dug in during 2025, housing construction met with uncertainties in supply but BC Builds was introduced.
- The Province, through BC Housing, has issued a request for proposals (RFP) for the first two demonstration projects to be designed and built using DASH.
- BC Housing is looking for proposals from teams of general contractors and manufacturers who will work together to design and build the projects using prefabricated materials.
BC Housing expects to issue RFPs for two additional DASH projects in the months ahead. With these early developments, BC Housing is testing the DASH tools and the homebuilding industry’s readiness to implement them and transform the way B.C. delivers housing.
Seeking construction management teams:
Two developments will provide 90 homes.
- BC Housing is seeking construction manager-manufacturer teams for the first two housing projects using the Digitally Accelerated Standardized Housing (DASH) program tools to cut the time needed for building approvals
- The housing will include approximately 40 affordable rental homes in Prince George, and 50 spaces of women’s transitional housing in Abbotsford.
- DASH showcases a cutting-edge approach using modern building methods, like prefabricated parts and standardized designs, to speed up the development process and reduce expenses
About DASH:
DASH is a new online platform that is helping developers and non-profits design and build three- to six-storey buildings more quickly, with components manufactured in B.C.
- The DASH platform includes a set of digital tools that are available at no cost to builders, developers and manufacturers all over BC.
- DASH builds on BC’s leadership on digital permitting and construction, including work to digitize the BC Building Code and Building Permit Hub.
- This work is consistent with the objectives of Look West, a strategic plan to accelerate major projects, expand skills training and grow key sectors to strengthen BC’s economy, creating good jobs and opportunities for people and businesses, and benefiting all of Canada.
By using digital review, standardized designs and prefabricated building parts, DASH is expected to cut the development process from three years to one.
- * See: explainer video about DASH
- * Explore the DASH platform
DASH, which launched publicly in November 2025, has been recognized nationally for cutting red tape in the development process.
Helps weighs in:
Former Victoria Mayor Lisa Helps was the creative force behind BC Builds.
After the announcement, Helps said in social media that she was “thrilled”. She thanked Ministers Robertson and Boyle for “the spirit of partnership you bring so that those who are most vulnerable in our communities get the housing they need sooner”.
Helps declared that 400+ additional affordable homes will be built with BC Housing’s DASH Initiative.
===== RELATED:
NEWS SECTIONS: HOUSING | 45th PARLIAMENT of CANADA | 43rd PARLIAMENT of BC