Housing Affordability

The Islands Trust Council has declared that a housing equity and workforce shortage crisis exists on many of the islands within the Islands Trust Area. Strengthening housing affordability is an Islands Trust Council priority.

The Islands Trust Council is currently reviewing its Policy Statement to determine if there is a need to update or add policies about housing. See Islands 2050 for information on how to get involved.

close up of a small orange hermit crab on an oyster in an oysterbed

Local trust committees and Bowen Island Municipality may have active projects related to affordable housing underway. Learn more on their web pages.

Affordable or Special Needs Housing

If you’re interested in developing affordable or special needs housing, it’s important to understand approval processes and the roles of different levels of government and community organizations.

Before you start the process, read our Affordable and Special Needs Application Guide.

Housing Agreements

A housing agreement is a legal agreement between property owners—usually the organization(s) or society developing the housing—and the local trust committee. A housing agreement will almost always be a condition of an application for affordable housing. The agreement is adopted by bylaw and establishes terms such as:

  • Tenant or owner eligibility, usually based on income or other standards
  • Rental rates
  • Allowable rent increases, if applicable
  • The amount a unit can be sold for, if applicable

Each year, the Islands Trust reviews its housing agreements to ensure the terms are being upheld. You can view Islands Trust housing agreements by clicking below on the community where the housing agreement exists:

Make a Housing Agreement Application

The Islands Trust Guide to Housing Agreements provides information about the process of establishing a housing agreement.

Housing Needs Reports

Provincial legislation requires all local governments and local trust committees to produce housing needs reports by 2022 and then every five years. The Islands Trust has produced three housing needs reports:

Bowen Island Municipality has produced its own Housing Needs Assessment, 2020.

Useful Resources

Other pages you may be interested in: