Unlocking more below-market rentals in BC (flickr.com)

Media Contacts

Jimmy Smith

Deputy Communications Director
Office of the Premier
Jimmy.Smith@gov.bc.ca

Ministry of Housing

Media Relations
236 478-0251

BC Housing

Media Relations
media@bchousing.org

Backgrounders

Details about the Secondary Suite Incentive Program in B.C.
  • Starting May 2, 2024, people living in most incorporated municipalities and the following regional districts are eligible to apply to the Secondary Suite Incentive Program (SSIP):
    • ​Alberni-Clayoquot
    • Capital
    • Central Kootenay
    • Central Okanagan
    • Cowichan Valley
    • East Kootenay
    • Fraser Valley (excluding the Sunshine Valley)
    • Fraser-Fort George
    • Kootenay Boundary
    • Nanaimo
    • North Okanagan
    • Squamish-Lillooet
    • Sunshine Coast
    • Thompson Nicola
    • Peace River
  • Legislation was introduced in fall 2023 to allow secondary suites and accessory dwelling units across B.C.
  • The program eligibility was expanded in January to include 15 of B.C.’s regional districts.
  • The Province will review options to further expand the program in future years.
  • Budget 2023 allocated an additional $91 million over three years to support the SSIP pilot.  
  • A 2023 Statistics Canada report found that in 2021, 214,925 property owners in B.C. were owner-occupants of multi-unit residential properties, which include secondary suites and accessory dwelling units. This represented 9.6% of all property owners in the province.