Where every party stands on housing
2 of the 2 parties on the October 17 ballot have published something on housing and zoning. Here they are side by side, each with its source.
BEFORE YOU COMPARE
Who actually decides this
Section 479 of the Local Government Act lets a local government, by bylaw, divide the municipality into zones and regulate the use and density of land, buildings and other structures within each zone. In Burnaby, Council adopts those bylaws.
Read the commitments below against that. Where a party proposes something the city cannot do on its own, the commitment carries a line naming who holds the power. That is not a criticism of the promise. A council can lobby, fund and argue, and saying so plainly is more useful than pretending the limit does not exist.
WHAT THE COMPARISON SHOWS
Reading this ballot on housing
2 of the 2 parties have published something here, and between them they have made 10 separate commitments. BCA - Burnaby Citizens Association has published the most, with 6.
Not one of these commitments carries a dollar figure, a count or a percentage. They set a direction, which means there is nothing here to check against a budget later.
1 commitment has a deadline attached. A promise with a date on it is the rarest kind on this ballot and the easiest to hold someone to.
1 of the 10 commitments here depend at least partly on a government other than the city. That does not make them empty, but it does change what a council can promise about them.
SIDE BY SIDE
Every published position on housing
| Party | Published position | Commitments |
|---|---|---|
| BCA - Burnaby Citizens Association | The BCA's 2026 platform promises to start at least 1,000 new rental homes through the Burnaby Housing Authority by 2030, to build more affordable homes with non-profits and co-ops, to use City land for family homes, and to zone town centres for shops and cafés at street level. It gives no costs. | 6 |
| NEW Burnaby | NEW Burnaby's About page promises housing that fits the scale and character of each neighbourhood, sewer and water work paid for before more homes are added, and consultation before rezoning. Its platform adds more flexible zoning for local businesses. It gives no costs. | 4 |
BCA - BURNABY CITIZENS ASSOCIATION
At least 1,000 new rental homes through the Burnaby Housing Authority by 2030
The BCA's 2026 platform promises to start at least 1,000 new rental homes through the Burnaby Housing Authority by 2030, to build more affordable homes with non-profits and co-ops, to use City land for family homes, and to zone town centres for shops and cafés at street level. It gives no costs.
- Start at least 1,000 new rental homes through the Housing Authority by 20302030
- Build more affordable homes with non-profits and co-ops
- Use City land to build homes for families faster
- Make it faster to build homes in every part of Burnaby
Read all 6 BCA - Burnaby Citizens Association commitments, with sources
NEW BURNABY
Growth that fits the neighbourhood, with consultation before rezoning
NEW Burnaby's About page promises housing that fits the scale and character of each neighbourhood, sewer and water work paid for before more homes are added, and consultation before rezoning. Its platform adds more flexible zoning for local businesses. It gives no costs.
- Housing that fits the scale of each neighbourhood
- Pay for sewer and water work before adding more homes
- Consultation before rezoning
- More flexible zoning for local businesses