Departments > Sustainability > Housing

Housing in Victoria

The information contained here is a summary of the City of Victoria's housing stock and our response to housing affordability and homelessness. The primary source of data is the 2006 census. As well building permit data and CHMC rental surveys assist in providing an overall picture of the condition and affordability of Victoria's housing stock.

The City of Victoria works in partnership with groups and organizations that address housing policy in the Capital Regional District. Based on the OCP (1995), the City is addressing housing affordability and other key areas of concern including homelessness, adaptable housing and secondary suites.

On this page you will find information on:

• Characteristics of Housing Stock
• Residential Development
• 2010 Housing Report
• Victoria Comprehensive Housing Strategy
• Assisted Housing
• Affordable Housing
• Victoria Housing Fund
• Links to Other Resources

Characteristics of Housing Stock

Below you will find a summary of:

• Dwelling Unit Numbers
• Tenure
• Vacancy Rates
• Residential Development
• Residential Selling Prices
• 2010 Housing Report - [PDF 1.1MB]

Dwelling Unit Numbers
According to the 2006 census, there are 41, 705 private dwellings in the City of Victoria. This is an increase from 2001 by 2,110 units (5.3%). Our housing mix looks like this:

Source: Statistics Canada 2006

Single detached homes make up 16% of our housing mix. Semi-detached, townhouse or duplex account for 17% and apartments make up the balance (67%). The average number of rooms per dwelling is 4.7 and the average number of bedrooms per dwelling is 1.8.

Our housing stock is relatively well maintained. Seventy percent (70%) of our private occupied dwellings require regular maintenance only while another 23% require some minor repairs. Only 7% of occupied dwellings require major repairs.

The age of dwelling units in Victoria looks like this:

Source: Statistics Canada 2006

Tenure
Tenure for the City of Victoria compared to the Capital Region and the province looks like this:

Source: Statistics Canada 2006

Source: Statistics Canada 2006

Sixty percent of Victorians are renters compared to the CRD average of 34%. Ownership in Victoria has risen 3% between 1996-2006, but still lags far behind both the CRD average (66%) and the provincial average (70%).

Vacancy Rates
Vacancy and availability rates are measured every spring and fall by Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation. Results from 2010 are below:

Current vacancy rate: 1.30%
National vacancy rate: 2.60%
Healthy vacancy rate: No official percentage exists. Guestimated at 3%

(Source: CMHC Rental Market Fall 2010 Survey)

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Residential Development

There were 142 residential building permits issued in 2010 for a total of 369 units net gain of new housing. Building permits counted include demolitions, conversions and new construction only. It does not include plumbing or electrical permits. There were 5 large projects in Downtown and Harris Green accounting for 199 (60%) of the new units. The Downtown neighbourhood continues to see a steady addition of both ownership and rental housing in the core. In 2010, there were 49 secondary suites created within the City limits.

In 2010 there was a 17% increase in building permits issued with a 55% decrease in construction value from 2009. The number of permits issued surpasses the total number issued in the past 10 years by 16%.

Note: The above table includes all building permits issued during each fiscal year, including electrical and plumbing permits.

Residential Selling Prices

Victoria has experienced overall growth in housing prices since 1997, hitting its peak in 2008, and experiencing a slight drop in 2009, but showed full recovery in 2010.

Source: Victoria Real Estate Board

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2010 Victoria Housing Report

To print a copy of the 2010 Victoria Housing Report, click here - [PDF 1.1MB]

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Victoria Comprehensive Housing Strategy

City Council received and approved a Comprehensive Housing Strategy for the City of Victoria on July 12th, 2007. The work program outlined in the strategy is aligned with the Regional Housing Affordability Strategy (RHAS) - [PDF 396KB] and reflects the high priority ascribed to housing by citizens in the City's Annual Citizen Survey.

This picture illustrates the housing continuum in the City of Victoria. The affordability challenges in the City exist across this continuum but particularly in the production of low end of market ownership housing, primarily due to the price of land. Click here to read a copy of the Comprehensive Housing Strategy - [PDF 83KB].

• Fact Sheet - Housing Affordability Fact Sheet - [PDF 42KB]
• Fact Sheet - Affordable Housing Blueprint for Action - [PDF 39KB]
• Media Release - Comprehensive Housing Strategy - [PDF 23KB]
• City Committee of the Whole Report - June 21, 2007 - [PDF 45KB]
• City Council Minutes - July 12, 2007 - [PDF 5KB]

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Assisted Housing

The purpose of assisted housing is to provide accommodation for eligible senior citizens, families and individuals. To qualify for assisted housing, applicants are assessed on the basis of need. In Victoria, assisted housing includes a variety of:

• Self-contained rental units in apartments and townhouses for families, seniors and individuals
• Co-op housing
• Complex care facilities
• Transition housing
• Shelters
• Youth housing
• Supportive housing
• Group homes

Located throughout the city, we have the following numbers of assisted living units for each target group:

Assisted housing is managed by housing providers. Key housing providers in Victoria include:

• Capital Region Housing Corporation
• Cridge Centre for the Family
• Gorge View Society
• M'Akola Housing Society
• Pacifica Housing Advisory Association
• Salvation Army Addictions and Rehabilitation Centre
• Shekinah Homes Society
• St. Vincent de Paul Housing Society
• Threshold Housing Society
• Victoria Cool Aid Society
• Victoria Senior Citizens Housing Society

Most assisted housing can be applied for through BC Housing.

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Affordable Housing

The City of Victoria is an active partner and a strong advocate for affordable housing throughout the city. We recognize the role that housing plays in creating a strong, vibrant and diverse community. Since 2004 the City of Victoria has been proactively addressing our affordable housing issue. While not an all-encompassing list, some activities we have undertaken include:

• creating a "supported housing first" policy with concurrent fast tracking of non-profit applicants,
• approving an expansion of the secondary suites bylaw - [PDF 51KB] followed by an education campaign that included print and electronic media as well as public information sessions,
• establishing the Victoria Housing Fund to assist in capital development of non-market housing, with a guaranteed annual contribution of $250,000 from the GST rebate,
• adopting a bonus density policy - [PDF 103KB] for our downtown neighbourhood and utilizing legal instruments (housing agreements) to secure commitments,
• adopting a strata conversion policy disallowing rental units (of 4 or more in a building) to be converted to ownership based on a vacancy rate of 4% or less,
• relaxing regulations that permit conversions of existing motels into smaller than minimum allowed to assist in making these projects viable and creating more units (i.e. the Jolly Knight Motel),
• working with many different housing agencies (both private and public) to create opportunities to address housing needs across the housing continuum (e.g. The Housing Action Team of the Capital Region's Housing Secretariat),
• creating a community resources inventory which tracks social housing projects (number and size of units and target groups) to ensure that the citizens understand the breadth and scope of the housing continuum,
• working to develop strong relationships beyond traditional partnerships through our work to develop a Victoria Agreement (2004-2007),
• creating an annual housing report - [PDF 1.1MB] that tracks new construction, demolitions and conversions including heritage buildings and secondary suites,
• providing briefing notes for our Mayor and provincial housing minister to meet with their federal government counterpart,
• participating at the provincial level through the use of UBCM resolutions and suggesting agenda items for the Large Cities Forum.
• providing financial assistance and participating in the Greater Victoria Coalition to End Homelessness

Click here to see a summary of activity on affordable housing activity between 2008-2010 - [PDF 306KB]

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Greater Victoria Coalition to End Homelessness

In May 2007, then Mayor Alan Lowe established the Task Force on Breaking the Cycle of Homelessness, Addictions and Mental Health. His expectations were to find a better way to deal with the problems of the addicted, mentally ill and other homeless residents on the streets and the impacts these issues are having on our city. In a short period of time (120 days) the Task Force researched and wrote a comprehensive plan for resolving our homeless crisis in Victoria which is now in the early stages of implementation (Summer, 2008). Partnerships have been created, financial resources have been allocated and The Greater Victoria Coalition to End Homelessness, under the leadership of the Honourable Ted Hughes, has been incorporated to implement the work of the task force. To read more about the work of the Coalition, please click here.

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Links to Other Resources

• BC Housing Registry
• Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) RAPP Program
• Canadian Cooperative Association
• Co-operative Housing Federation of Canada
• First Time Home Buyer's Guide
• Housing Affordability Partnership
• Housing realities and requirements for women living with disabilities - [PDF 24KB]
• Victoria Real Estate Board

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