Urban Development Institute

BC's foremost voice for urban development and related professions since 1972.
Non-partisan, non-profit, and paving the way for tomorrow's cities.

[Urban Development Institute @udibc]

Government taxes and fees made up 29% of a new #Vancouver condo’s price in 2023.

@udibc is calling for a rethink of how we fund infrastructure. BC needs to reduce development costs and restore project viability to get more homes built.

Read more: https://t.co/mRXu2wTe01

[BIV News @BIVnews]

Housing experts urge B.C. to rethink development charges https://t.co/mJr0bFPPAY

[Urban Development Institute @udibc]

On October 30, @udibc CEO @Mike_Drummond will join the @SWRBOT’s Development Industry Forum: The Business of Building. Keynote by @gregorrobertson
Grab your tickets: https://t.co/tLaxQVreGd

[Urban Development Institute @udibc]

“When market developers and non-profit housing providers are asking for the same thing, it should tell every party how serious the cost of delivery crisis is.”
@udibc, @BCNPHA, AHMA & @chfbc call on all parties to commit to measures aimed at making housing development viable.

[Daily Hive Vancouver @DailyHiveVan]

B.C. developers and housing non-profits unite in election push to cut construction costs
https://t.co/mgAjswPmEh

[Urban Development Institute @udibc]

BC's next government faces a challenge that market (@udibc) and non-market housing (@BCNPHA, AHMA & @chfbc) providers agree on: the cost of building homes must come down.

[BIV News @BIVnews]

Housing coalition outlines four demands ahead of B.​C. election dlvr.​it/TVwCcG

[Daily Hive Vancouver @DailyHiveVan]

B.C. developers and housing non-profits unite in election push to cut construction costs
https://t.co/mgAjswPmEh

[BIV News @BIVnews]

Housing coalition outlines four demands ahead of B.​C. election dlvr.​it/TVwCcG

[Urban Development Institute @udibc]

When unlikely allies agree, govts should listen.

UDI & Housing Central call for lower housing costs.

Land, construction, fees, financing & delays are stalling projects across BC.

Different sectors. Same problem. Fewer homes get built.

Read the PR: https://t.co/kaa44D8u2g

[Urban Development Institute @udibc]

Direct construction costs for typical #MetroVan housing projects rose 104%-112% between 2014 & 2025, according to a new study.

Findings show how labour, materials, code, seismic & soil costs are affecting housing delivery.
Read the study: https://t.co/x0KCMHZjAy #bchousing

[McQuarrie @McQuarrie_Law]

McQuarrie’s Adam Van Noort and Greg Scott had a fantastic time attending the UDI Fraser Valley Golf Tournament. We were proud to support this wonderful event as a Community Sponsor! It was a great day filled with golf, connection, and community spirit.
@udibc

[BIV News @BIVnews]

B.C. Premier David Eby pauses PST expansion, adds $90M tariff relief package https://t.co/mzt0zU5dS1

[Urban Development Institute @udibc]

A pause is welcome. A repeal is still needed.

BC’s planned PST expansion on professional services would add costs to businesses, local governments & housing delivery.

The tax should not come back.

UDI will keep advocating for policies that reduce the cost of delivery. #bcpoli

[CityNews Vancouver @CityNewsVAN]

The B.C. government says it is pausing the previously announced PST expansion to professional services. https://t.co/myOuQiuh2y

[Urban Development Institute @udibc]

Vancouver housing starts fell sharply in July compared with last year. While one month does not tell the whole story, it points to a larger issue: fewer projects are moving forward, and the cost to deliver new housing is still too high. https://t.co/9JtMDefwJH #bcpoli

[Urban Development Institute @udibc]

This is the cost-of-delivery crisis in real time.

Nearly 42K approved homes across BC are sitting unbuilt because the numbers no longer work.

If govts want more homes built, they need to address fees, charges, code requirements & regulatory burden affecting project viability.

[Urban Development Institute @udibc]

Vancouver housing starts fell 42% this July compared to last year.

One month can be noisy, but the broader trend is clear: BC starts are down 10% so far this year, and fewer projects are moving forward.

@udibc CEO Michael Drummond joined CBC’s On The Coast to explain why.

[Urban Development Institute @udibc]

Ontario cut taxes on new homes. Sales jumped 130%.

When governments reduce the cost of buying a new home, buyers respond.

BC should be paying attention.

[Financial Post @financialpost]

Builders group credits HST rebate for 130% jump in new home sales in Ontario https://t.co/1Tt2O1no6K

[Urban Development Institute @udibc]

Inclusionary zoning is sold as a no-cost way to deliver affordable housing. But it still has to be funded.

Director of Policy & Advocacy, Jay Chadha, looks at what Portland learned the hard way & what @MetroVancouver can still get right.
https://t.co/tujmNPBV7R #vanpoli

[Urban Development Institute @udibc]

That means expanding the province’s attainable housing second-mortgage model, reducing taxes that add to the cost of new homes & actually listening to the people who build them. As Rick writes: “Canadians cannot afford experiments or secretly negotiated deals. Let’s talk.” 2/2

[Urban Development Institute @udibc]

B.C.’s middle class needs a real path to homeownership, not another complicated government program.

In @VancouverSun, UDI Board Chair @rickilich argues that governments should focus on practical tools that help people buy homes.

Read the op-ed: https://t.co/ztn97wMdi7 1/2

[Urban Development Institute @udibc]

The proposed condo purchase program is not what we asked for; rather, we asked for simpler, more direct tools to support affordability & help new housing move forward. Broader GST relief, similar to what ON introduced, is the better path.

[Times Colonist @timescolonist]

B.C. developers say they don't want a buyout for empty condos https://t.co/s8MqbI49Fi

[Urban Development Institute @udibc]

CBC News covered UDI’s decision to cancel the 2026 Awards for Excellence amid one of the worst housing markets in decades.

Projects are stalled, investment is constrained, and the impacts are spreading across the industy.
Read more: https://t.co/fiDo3Aiccu
#bchousing