BCREA Wants More Housing Supply, but Fraser Valley Owners Still Have a Soft Market to Deal With
BCREA is pushing for policy changes to unlock housing supply in BC, but Chilliwack and Abbotsford owners still need to make hold, sell, and rental decisions in a soft local market today.
Article Details
- Author: Lukas Matheson
- Published: July 7, 2026
- Category: Market Brief
Article Summary
- BCREA’s June 17 advocacy post argues that British Columbia still has a housing supply problem, and that parts of the current tax framework are getting in the way of development and investment. That may be true at a provincial level, but for owners in Chilliwack and Abbotsford the immediate question is more practical: should this change how you price, hold, rent, or sell a property right now? The short answer is no, not by itself. Provincial policy reform could matter later, but local owners still have to make decisions in the market that exists today, and right now that market looks soft, with different risks in Chilliwack than in Abbotsford. ## What BCREA is actually saying The BCREA post says BC continues to face a persistent housing shortage, especially in urban and high-growth areas. It also says parts of the current taxation framework are constraining housing development and investment, including the Additional Property Transfer Tax on foreign buyers and the proposed Provincial Sales Tax expansion. That is a fair policy argument, especially if the goal is to get more capital, more building, and fewer friction costs into the system. What the source does not do, at least in the