BC Greens leader Emily Lowan says NDP rent claims overstate progress
BC Greens leader Emily Lowan says BC remains the most expensive province for rent and challenges the NDP housing minister's claim of a 4.5% rent decrease as misleading to tenants.
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BC Greens leader Emily Lowan says British Columbia remains the most expensive province in Canada for apartment and condo rents, contesting BC NDP housing minister Christine Boyle's claim that government action has driven down prices. Daily Hive Vancouver reported the exchange on October 8, 2026.
What Lowan said
Lowan said the rent reductions the NDP has highlighted started from prices that were already inflated, and that a decline from high prices does not make rent affordable for renters who cannot pay what the market asks. "Renters in British Columbia have faced a deeply hostile environment," Lowan said in a statement, as reported by Daily Hive Vancouver. She said the NDP had pointed to asking-price reductions while those asking prices "were wildly inflated to begin with."
A Rentals.ca report cited in the Daily Hive article places North Vancouver, Vancouver, and Burnaby as the three most expensive rental locations in Canada, with Coquitlam also in the top ten.
The BC Greens say 1 in 3 Canadian renters spend more than 30% of their monthly income on rent, a figure the party cited to frame the broader problem. That figure is the party's own claim and has not been independently verified.
What Boyle said
Boyle, who is also the BC NDP housing minister and a candidate in this election, has said government action is working. After an August 2026 rent report, she credited increases in housing supply, restrictions on short-term rentals, and limits on foreign investment in the housing market for a 4.5% decrease in overall average rents in BC, according to Daily Hive Vancouver. Boyle made those comments in response to separate reports from both Rentals.ca and liv.rent.
The Daily Hive article notes that BC was already the most expensive province for rent before the NDP described prices as declining, meaning the "reclaiming" framing in the BC Greens statement describes a position the province did not leave.
What the BC Greens propose
The BC Greens are pledging to build 26,000 units of affordable non-market housing per year, as reported by Daily Hive Vancouver. That figure is the party's own commitment. The party has not published a cost estimate or a delivery timeline alongside this pledge.
What voters can do
Renters deciding between the NDP and BC Greens platforms can read both parties' housing commitments and compare them with third-party rent data at the Rentals.ca website. Advance voting runs from October 16 to 21, 2026. Voting day is October 24, 2026. See candidates and parties in your district at /bc/provincial-2026.
Questions this story answers
What did Emily Lowan say about rent in BC?
BC Greens leader Emily Lowan said on October 8, 2026 that BC has reclaimed its position as the most expensive province in Canada for apartment and condo rents. She said the reductions the BC NDP has highlighted came after large increases, and that a decline from inflated prices does not make rent affordable. Daily Hive Vancouver reported her comments on October 8, 2026, citing a Rentals.ca report.
What did BC NDP housing minister Christine Boyle say about rent?
Christine Boyle, the NDP housing minister and candidate in the 2026 provincial election, has credited government action for a 4.5% decrease in overall average rents in BC. She attributed the decrease to increases in housing supply, restrictions on short-term rentals, and limits on foreign investment in the housing market. She made this claim in response to an August 2026 rent report, according to Daily Hive Vancouver.
What does the Rentals.ca report say about the most expensive rental markets in Canada?
According to the Rentals.ca report cited by Daily Hive Vancouver, the three most expensive rental locations in Canada are North Vancouver, Vancouver, and Burnaby. Coquitlam also appears in the top ten. All four are in the Metro Vancouver area. The report is published by Rentals.ca, a private rental listings company.
What is the BC Greens' housing plan?
The BC Greens have pledged to build 26,000 units of affordable non-market housing per year, according to statements from leader Emily Lowan as reported by Daily Hive Vancouver on October 8, 2026. The party says this target goes further than what the BC NDP has proposed. The 26,000 figure is the BC Greens' own commitment; it has not been verified against an independent cost or delivery analysis.
What does 'non-market housing' mean?
Non-market housing is housing where the rent is set below what a private landlord would charge, usually by a government, co-op, or non-profit. The cost to build and operate it is covered partly or fully by public funding rather than by tenant rents alone. The BC Greens' pledge of 26,000 units per year refers to this type of housing, according to their campaign statements as reported by Daily Hive Vancouver.
Who is Christine Boyle and what riding is she running in?
Christine Boyle is the BC NDP housing minister and is running for the provincial legislature in the 2026 election. You can see her profile and district on her candidate page at /bc/provincial-2026/candidates/christine-boyle.
Who is Emily Lowan and what riding is she running in?
Emily Lowan is the leader of the BC Green Party and is running for election on October 24, 2026. You can see her profile and district on her candidate page at /bc/provincial-2026/candidates/emily-lowan.
When is advance voting and when is voting day?
Advance voting for the BC provincial election runs from October 16 to 21, 2026. Voting day is October 24, 2026. You can find the candidates and parties running in your district, along with links to each candidate's profile, at /bc/provincial-2026. Elections BC also lists voting places and registration information at elections.bc.ca.
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