Advocacy Update #45 - October 7, 2026

In this issue:

• Our recommendations and platform tracker for the Provincial Snap Election
• CHBA BC's response to NDP's proposed unsold condo tax
• Pause on PST expansion for professional services

Snap Provincial Election Called for October 24

Premier David Eby has called a snap provincial election, about two years ahead of the fixed election date. Advance voting runs October 16-21 with general voting day scheduled for Saturday, October 24.

CHBA BC has outlined three key recommendations for all parties to support housing supply and attainability in BC. CHBA BC is also tracking party platforms and will add commitments related to housing and residential construction as they’re announced. 

See the CHBA BC recommendations and platform tracker page here, and check back regularly for updates leading up to election day.

CHBA BC Responds to NDP’s Proposed Unsold Condo Tax

On September 25, the BC NDP made a campaign commitment to introduce an unsold condo tax if re-elected. The tax would apply to finished units left empty for more than a year. It would start at 2% of assessed value and rise by 1% each additional year. The party also proposed raising the existing Speculation and Vacancy Tax to 2% for domestic owners and 5% for foreign owners (up from 1% and 3%, respectively).

In response, CHBA BC urged a closer look at the proposal. Developers want to sell these homes. Most units sitting unsold today were planned, financed, and approved years ago under very different market conditions. A tax would not bring buyers back, and it would make it harder to finance future projects.

CHBA BC is asking all parties to consult builders, lenders, and municipalities before adding taxes that affect supply, focus on bringing buyers back into the market through stability, confidence, and support for first-time buyers, and continue work on reducing fees and delays that build up the cost of a home.

Read CHBA BC’s response here.

Province Pauses PST Expansion to Professional Services 

On September 18, the Province announced it is pausing the PST expansion to professional services that was set to take effect on October 1. The PST exemption will be maintained on:

• Accounting and bookkeeping services;

• Architectural, engineering and geoscience services;

• Non-residential real estate services, including strata and property management; and

• Security and private investigation services.

CHBA BC is pleased the Province has paused the expansion, which would have added costs to building new homes. However, although no new effective date has been announced, a pause is not a cancellation. CHBA BC called for a reversal of the PST expansion in its Budget 2027 pre-budget submission, a recommendation echoed by the Select Standing Committee on Finance and Government Services in August, and will continue to push for a full reversal of the tax.

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.