Advocacy Update #24 - November 4, 2025

In this issue:

• CHBA National’s Latest HMI Report Shows Builder Confidence at Historic Low as Market Stalls
• Last Chance to Register: CHBA Webinar on the 2025 Federal Budget
• Province Introduces Bill 25: Housing and Municipal Affairs Statutes Amendment Act, 2025
• Look up Step Code requirements for Your Project

CHBA National’s Latest HMI Report Shows Builder Confidence at Historic Low as Market Stalls

According to the CHBA National’s latest Housing Market Index (HMI) for Q3 2025, builder sentiment in Canada has dropped to historic lows. The single-family HMI fell to 23.3 (down 4.1 points Year/Year), and the multi-family HMI dropped to just 16.8.

Of particular concern for B.C. is the province’s single-family HMI of 11.7, which is close to a record low. The multi-family HMI of 14.7 represented a large decline of 14.6 points from the score of 29.3 in Q3 2024, the largest decline of all regions this quarter.

The HMI points clearly to policy bottlenecks: stalled implementation of the GST/HST first-home buyer rebate and ongoing tariff/material-cost pressures are cited as key constraints. For CHBA BC members, the message is clear: the tools and incentives to support ownership, from governments

at all levels, are lagging while demand and market confidence continue to drop.

While builders have resisted laying off employees during the past 2.5 years of weak selling conditions, 39% of builders in B.C. reported they are planning on laying off workers.

We encourage our members to join the HMI panel. Contact CHBA National here to sign up. Your participation helps strengthen our advocacy by ensuring policymakers have an accurate picture of the challenges and conditions facing B.C.’s home building industry.

Click here to read the full CHBA National HMI report for Q3 2025.

Last Chance to Register: CHBA Webinar on the 2025 Federal Budget

The 2025 Federal Budget is being released today, and it’s anticipated to include several housing-related measures, including more details on the federal government’s commitment to cutting municipal development charges by 50%.

Join CHBA CEO Kevin Lee and MNP’s Kevin Wong, Partner and Regional Leader for Taxation Services, for an in-depth webinar on November 6 as they unpack what the budget means for the residential construction sector.

Register Here

Province Introduces Bill 25: Housing and Municipal Affairs Statutes Amendment Act, 2025 

On October 9, the Province introduced Bill 25 - the Housing and Municipal Affairs Statutes Amendment Act, 2025 - to support the implementation of Small-Scale, Multi-Unit Housing (SSMUH) and update short-term rental regulations.

If passed, the bill will amend the Local Government Act and Vancouver Charter to:

• remove barriers to create consistent conditions throughout the Province for small-scale, multi-unit housing by clarifying the definition of where it will be allowed.

  • This change will prevent local governments from excluding zones where small-scale, multi-unit housing should be allowed or making further restrictions that make it more difficult to build anything other than single-family or duplex housing for communities with more than 5,000 people, and within urban-containment boundaries.

• expand the list of provincial site standards that can be regulated:

  • the amount of buildable area and number of buildings on a lot;

  • housing forms (to allow triplexes, rowhomes and townhouses); and 

  • parking requirements (to ensure excessive parking requirements that mandate several parking spaces per unit are not limiting housing development).

The bill also strengthens the Short-Term Rental Accommodation Act by introducing clearer definitions, enhanced enforcement tools, and improved information-sharing between governments. 

CHBA BC continues to monitor the progress of Bill 25 and its potential impact on members. For more information, see the news release and proposed legislation.

Look up Step Code requirements for Your Project

The BC Energy Step Code and Zero Carbon Step Code set performance targets for new buildings. While the Province sets minimum requirements for energy efficiency, local governments and First Nations can choose to require higher steps. The Province has created a look up tool for local Energy and Zero Carbon Step Code requirements.

The Province is investing $9 million to fund local government-initiated projects to improve the efficiency of permitting systems and development approvals for quicker housing delivery and increasing housing supply.

Here’s how much Canadian home prices have surged over the last 30 years.

A recent Angus Reid poll suggests three in five British Columbians believe a recent BC Supreme Court decision recognizing Cowichan Nation land claims in Richmond could damage reconciliation in the province.

Bank of Canada lowers benchmark interest rate to 2.25 per cent but signals cuts may be done.

Metro Vancouver’s rental pipeline hits record high.

This newsletter is exclusive for Canadian Home Builders' Association of BC (CHBA BC) members. If a colleague would like to subscribe, please have them update their contact information with their local association. For questions, feel free to contact Jenny Scott, Director of Policy and Government Relations, or Pauline Rupp, Director of Technical and Building Innovation.