B.C. government to set housing targets for 20 more communities

The British Columbia government has named another 20 cities and towns as priority communities for housing targets over the next five years.

The government says in a statement the communities are in high-growth, high-need regions ofB.C.

Housing Minister Ravi Kahlon says the goal is to complement work those cities are already doing while they implement recent provincial legislative changes to build more homes.

The province named 10 priority cities last year, based on the areas of greatest need and projected growth, calling for 60,000 new units over the next five years.

Most of the 20 new communities are in Metro Vancouver and southern Vancouver Island, although Kelowna, West Kelowna and Prince George are also on the list.

The government says it will monitor the progress of the 20 communities and set out targets this summer for housing growth.

The latest 20 priority municipalities identified to receive housing targets are: Central Saanich, Chilliwack, Colwood, Esquimalt, Kelowna, the City of Langley, Maple Ridge, Mission, Nanaimo, New Westminster, North Cowichan, North Saanich, the City of North Vancouver, Port Coquitlam, Prince George, Sidney, Surrey and View Royal.

The 10 communities already named are Vancouver, Victoria, Kamloops, Abbotsford, Delta, Saanich, the District of North Vancouver, Port Moody, Oak Bay and West Vancouver.