BC Conservatives Plan to Roll Back Four NDP Housing Laws
The incoming Conservative government says it will scrap or amend the laws that set provincial housing targets and required fourplexes near transit.
Reported. A news outlet found this. voche.me names the outlet and links its report. Read the original report on dailyhive.com.
The incoming BC Conservative government plans to repeal the provincial law that set housing completion targets for municipalities and to amend the law requiring fourplexes and other small multi-unit homes on single-family lots, according to Daily Hive's report published October 30.
Premier-designate Lorne Doerkson has committed to removing the five-year housing targets that Bill 43, the Housing Supply Act, imposed on municipalities. Under the NDP's law, cities that missed their targets faced possible provincial intervention. The Conservatives say those powers belong at city hall, not in Victoria.
Bill 44 is also on the list for amendments. That law required municipalities to allow secondary suites, laneway homes, and buildings of three to six units near transit, without property owners needing a separate rezoning vote. The province said 97 per cent of municipalities had adopted its rules into their bylaws as of June 2026, Daily Hive reported. The incoming government says it will give cities more say over where that density is placed.
Two other laws passed since 2023 are also under review. Bill 46 changed when municipalities could collect development fees for community amenities. Bill 47, the Transit Oriented Areas Act, required higher-density buildings within 800 metres of SkyTrain stations and 400 metres of bus exchanges, with permitted heights of 8 to 20 storeys depending on distance from the stop.
What the platform promised
The Conservative Party of BC platform, page 6, says municipal governments should be held to their own Official Community Plans, and that local governments and residents should decide where density goes and what it looks like. A Conservative spokesperson told Daily Hive: "Local governments aren't a branch office of Victoria. They're the people who get the call when the water main breaks."
Those housing promises are tracked at /bc/provincial-2026/tracker#gov-promise-local-say-on-density.
The NDP's response
Former Housing Minister Ravi Kahlon, quoted by Daily Hive, opposed the changes. He said the legislation let younger residents afford homes in established neighbourhoods by building fourplexes and triplexes. "It's a movie we've already seen, and the first movie sucked," Kahlon was quoted as saying.
Kahlon has since said he is focused on his family, according to other reports this week, but has left the door open to returning to politics.
What comes next
The Conservative government has not yet been sworn in, and no specific date for tabling legislative amendments has been announced. Until new laws are passed, the existing NDP rules remain in effect. Residents in cities across BC who have filed rezoning applications or secondary suite permits under Bill 44 will want to follow the legislature's session for changes to those requirements.
The party's full list of housing promises, including cutting construction charges, shortening approval timelines, and overhauling the BC Step Code, is at /bc/provincial-2026/parties/conservative-party-of-bc.
Questions this story answers
Which housing laws does the Conservative government plan to change?
According to Daily Hive, the incoming Conservative government plans to repeal Bill 43, which set five-year housing completion targets for municipalities, and to amend Bill 44, which required cities to allow small-scale multi-unit housing such as fourplexes near transit without a separate rezoning. Bills 46 and 47 are also under review. Bill 47 required higher-density development within 800 metres of SkyTrain stations.
What did Bill 44 require municipalities to do?
Bill 44 required municipalities to allow secondary suites, laneway homes, and buildings of three to six units on single-family lots near transit, without the property owner needing a separate rezoning application. The province said 97 per cent of municipalities had adopted its rules into their bylaws as of June 2026, according to Daily Hive.
What does the Conservative platform say about housing density?
The Conservative Party of BC platform, page 6, says municipal governments should be held to their own Official Community Plans and that local governments and residents should decide where density goes and what it looks like. The platform links to the promise at the tracker page for the Conservative government at voche.me.
What did the NDP government say in response?
Former Housing Minister Ravi Kahlon, quoted by Daily Hive, opposed the reversal. He said the legislation allowed younger residents to afford homes in established neighbourhoods by enabling fourplexes and triplexes to be built without rezoning.
What was the Conservative spokesperson's reason for the changes?
A Conservative spokesperson told Daily Hive: 'Local governments aren't a branch office of Victoria. They're the people who get the call when the water main breaks.' The incoming government says it wants cities to have more control over where new housing is built.
Does this affect housing already built under these laws?
Daily Hive's report does not say whether homes already approved or built under Bills 43, 44, 46 and 47 would be affected. The laws being changed set the rules for future applications and provincial oversight, not for buildings already completed. Details of the amendments have not yet been tabled in the legislature.
When will these changes take effect?
The Conservative government has not yet been sworn in, and no specific date for legislative changes has been announced. The details of each amendment will need to go through the legislature. Until new rules are in place, the existing NDP laws remain in effect.
Where can I follow what the BC Conservative government does on housing?
The voche.me tracker for the Conservative government at /bc/provincial-2026/tracker lists each housing promise with its status. The page updates as evidence is recorded. The housing promises include letting local governments decide on density, overhauling the step code, and shortening home approval timelines.
Sources
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