Hoping we follow suit!

How important are local government housing policies? They’re crucial. Saanich and Oak Bay exist in the same economy as Victoria and Esquimalt. There’s no shortage of housing need. The only reason they built so much less housing is because local policies prevented it

Coming up on Saturday! Join us!

For decades, Victoria didn't build enough rental housing to meet demand. However in recent years they really stepped up, and the thousands of new homes are allowing people to live in the city rather than being forced out into the suburbs. Let's keep it up!

BC just froze its Community Housing Fund, leaving thousands of future affordable homes that were relying on the fund in limbo www.cbc.ca/news/canada/... #bc #bcpoli #housing #affordability #urbanism

HFL has a team participating in the Coldest Night of the Year walk in support of Our Place. We’d love for you to join us by: a) Joining our team and walking with us, and/or b) Donating to support the cause. 👉 [Homes for Living Team Fundraising Page] (secure.e2rm.com/registrant/T...)

Should be an uncontroversial win for affordability 🙏 saanichnews.com/2026/02/01/s...

Council is again discussing the Quadra McKenzie Plan, this time at Committee of the Whole. Pro housing voices matter, so please come out if you can. 🗓 Mon, Jan 19 at 6:30 pm 📍 Saanich Municipal Hall or speak via Teams saanichca.primegov.com/Portal/Meeti...

👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

A @theglobeandmail.com editorial on the shaky basis of development charges. Usually we put special taxes on things we want less of, like cigarettes, and cut taxes on essentials, like groceries. There's a housing shortage and people need homes. #housing #yyj www.theglobeandmail.com/gift/39c067e...

Who needs a village when you can have parking lots?

Sooo many homes have been built in recent decades why are they expensive? #housing #yyj (/s)

One way our members take housing action is by writing pro housing letters to the editor, like these published in Vic News today. If we want better housing outcomes, pro housing voices need to be just as visible, persistent, and loud as those opposed. Read, share & consider writing your own.

For those not following what is happening here: 1. Cities banned family friendly infill housing for decades 2. The province stepped in and forced them to stop blocking them 3. Some family friendly homes got built 4. Cities immediately panicked and moved to block them again Incredible

“Build housing, stop complaining.” Councillor Dell is exactly right: BC is in a housing crisis. View Royal’s energy is better spent approving homes than launching legal challenges. Every municipality should be pulling for more housing & less delays. islandsocialtrends.ca/build-housin...

📣 Oak Bay needs your pro-housing voice! The new OCP Bylaw 4942 could finally plan for 20 years of much-needed homes. 🗓 Dec 9, 6pm 📍 Monterey Rec Centre Or watch on Civic Web. Let’s speak up for more homes and a more welcoming Oak Bay. 🏡 oakbay.civicweb.net/Portal/Meeti...

Great analogy of why Bill M216 matters here from @ryanjabs.bsky.social. The Legislative Assembly is taking public input until Jan 6: consultation-portal.leg.bc.ca/consultations Let’s trust our highly educated, fully regulated professionals and get home costs down.

Oak Bay has voted down yet another housing proposal 😞 As the applicant put it, “Uplands is not a museum… it is an early 20th century idea conceived in a cooler, much less crowded world.” It’s time for choices that reflect today’s reality, not 1920’s nostalgia.

Thank you @robbotterell for raising the Sidney Emergency Warming Shelter Action in the legislature on December 6. Sidney has a workable solution on the table, and we hope this event helps council reconsider their decision. www.youtube.com/watch?v=1oSM...

“Homes for All” is the theme of this year’s Gingerbread Showcase Lots of great housing messages and examples of homes that should be legal everything Support our friends at Habitat for Humanity www.habitatvictoria....

Hey all you community folks watching the Oak Bay OCP process- (I see you!) just a heads up that the public hearing will be pushed back a week- likely to the 9/10 of December. Date to be finalized next Monday.

One of my favourite things is looking for decades-old articles about housing in the newspaper. Most of them could be published word for word today and no one would even notice. But every year the problems from the housing shortage compound

Different decade, same problem. Back then, the “boogeyman” for local residents was townhouses; today, it’s towers. I wonder how many of the people opposing the Quadra–McKenzie plan now are living in homes that were fiercely opposed in 1977.

Saanich Council has approved 125 housing units at McKenzie and Rainbow. Close to transit, shops, parks,schools, and active transportation connections. A cantilevered sidewalk will make sure that we deliver a sidewalk AND protect 8 significant Garry Oaks while delivering the housing people need!

Grateful to receive support for Bill M216 from Homes for Living YYJ. A community housing advocacy group. “To meet affordability goals, we must ensure that it is faster and easier to build dense infill housing rather than suburban sprawl.” #bcpoli #Nanaimo #Lantzville #Victoriabc

Not something most people would feel brave enough to speak about at a public hearing. Let’s keep all of these stories in mind when making housing decisions. www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

Our letter to BC MLAs in support of @georgeandersonbc.bsky.social's private members' bill to streamline housing approvals.

On Dec 6, representatives from St. Andrew Anglican Church, Greater Victoria Acting Together and Homes for Living are camping out to call for real action and have asked Mayor and Council to do the same. Join us + support the Backpack Project. www.timescolonist.com/local-news/c...

Powerful words from Saanich resident Amber Wright: “To those who believe in a more welcoming, inclusive future: it’s time to show up.” www.timescolonist.com/opinion/comm...

Missing middle in the fall 🍂🍁😍 #missingmiddle #urbanism #housing

Municipal election year is coming up. Stay tuned for a lot of things coming from HFL.

Did you know Homes for Living has a newsletter? 🏡✨ ✔️ Check out our November issue here: https://bit.ly/47VZUBC ✔️ Sign up to get future issues: https://bit.ly/4qUd2zN ✔️ Explore past editions on our website: homesforliving.ca

Why! So disappointed in Colwood for denying 66 homes. Colwood Corners is designated for high-density development according to the 2018 Official Community Plan. What is the point of a community plan if everyone ignores it? #yyjpoli #yyjpolitics #colwood #hfl #homesforliving #housingcrisis

Love to see it 😍

Local municipalities, including Saanich and Esquimalt, have brought forward motions to add restrictions that making multi-family housing less viable. It’s encouraging to see the provincial government recognize this and implement measures to address it. news.gov.bc.ca/releases/202...

This is great! Every student that lives on campus takes pressure off of Victoria's rental market, and reduces commuting. The University has the land—they just need the money to build. Funding this UVic residence was a win-win decision, and one the province should keep repeating. #yyj

Oak Bay is planning for 3,761 new homes over 20 years through its Official Community Plan update. Now is the time to speak up for more housing + a more inclusive community. Survey is open until October 14, 2025 connect.oakbay.ca/official-com...

WITH THAT THE OCP HAS PASSED: Congrats Victoria :D #yyj #yyjpoli Kim, Loughton, Caradonna, Thompson, Alto in Favour! Coleman, Hammond, Gardiner in Opposition- . Dell is not in attendance. - now to Bylaws.

Saanich is hosting two in-person open houses on the updated Shelbourne Valley Plan, including important plans for new housing and stronger, more connected communities. + You can still have your voice heard on housing & community planning through the online survey 🙂 hello.saanich.ca/en/projects/...

🚨 Have your say! 🚨 The Shelbourne Valley Action Plan survey is open until Oct. 13. This is your chance to weigh in on how Saanich plans for housing, transportation, and livability along Shelbourne. 👉 Take the survey here: bit.ly/3KgcUtE

After another long night of Victoria’s OCP hearings, deliberations will resume Oct 2. James Bay was well represented; with many speakers warning the neighbourhood is already too dense. Con’t

We’ll soon know the outcome of Victoria’s new Official Community Plan. Thanks to all who spoke up for housing, including director Sam Holland, who put it plainly: “My entire generation is being displaced... doesn’t that matter more than character?” www.timescolonist.com/local-news/v...

A great take on this 🙏

This is an interesting metric! “cars occupy nearly 98 per cent of road space, even though they account for only about 95 per cent of trips” www.mcgill.ca/newsroom/cha... Found via @pentastich.bsky.social #urbanism

Are different areas in Greater Vic pulling their weight to get us out of the housing crisis? A member on our discord made an awesome visualization to help find out 👷: @elizapallas.bsky.social

The road to a housing crisis is paved with good intentions. www.youtube.com/watch?v=tvT...

We need more housing of all types 🙏 cheknews.ca/new-high-end...

A _huge_ thank you to @ravikahlon.bsky.social for his efforts to legalize new housing across BC. We're confident that future generations will look back and see the legislation he introduced as a significant turning point in our neighbourhoods becoming more affordable and inclusive. 1/2