Chilliwack – For the second year in a row, Chilliwack’s housing target progress report calls on the Government of BC to accept housing unit contributions on First Nations land toward provincially mandated housing targets in Chilliwack.
“In spite of significant efforts on Council’s part to advocate for the inclusion of local First Nations’ housing unit contributions towards these housing targets, there has been no acceptable outcome,” said Mayor Popove. “We may be separate jurisdictions, but we are extremely connected both in terms of essential community services and our work to address the housing crisis, and it is past time for the Province to recognize that.”
Chilliwack is unique in that 14 First Nation reserves form an integral part of the broader community. The City works with First Nations to help facilitate future development on their land in terms of traffic management, servicing, utility system capacity planning, environmental design, recreational facility planning, and social, economic, and cultural activities.
Under the BC Housing Supply Act, the City of Chilliwack was issued a Provincial Housing Target Order effective July 1, 2024, which required 4,594 net new residential units to be completed by June 30, 2029. The City has exceeded its Year 2 target of 1,404 net new housing units by providing 1,781 units as of June 30, 2026. This includes the combined housing units on City land (1,282) and First Nations land (499) and equals 127% of the Year 2 target. The Year 2 target is cumulative and includes units counted from July 1, 2024 – June 30, 2025. It should be noted that new housing units completed during reporting periods Year 1 and 2 reflect developments that were approved before the 2024 Provincial Order date under different market conditions than today.
“It is deeply concerning that the Province continues to omit First Nations’ critical contributions to housing development in the Chilliwack area,” said Mayor Popove. “To get an accurate picture of housing supply, we will continue to include housing developed on First Nations land in our counts, respecting our partnerships with local First Nations and their significant efforts to create more housing.”
For more information on the City of Chilliwack’s provincially mandated housing targets, visit our website at chilliwack.com/HousingTargets.
