Families and seniors in Burnaby will soon benefit from 161 new affordable homes and 74 child care spaces as construction starts on a new development in the community.

The Province is amending the personal use-notice period for home purchasers in B.C. to three months to improve conditions for first-time homebuyers, while ensuring that tenants have more than two months notice to find new housing.

More than 17,000 homes will be built in areas with the greatest housing needs as housing targets have been established in the third set of priority communities in the province.

The B.C. Financial Services Authority (BCFSA) has taken urgent action to protect the interests of tenants and landlords of approximately 350 properties in B.C. by freezing the bank accounts and suspending the licence of Vancouver-based rental property brokerage firm Rent it Furnished Realty.

Provincial legislation to fix outdated zoning rules and create more small-scale multi-unit homes (row homes, triplexes and townhouses) has now been adopted into local bylaws, or will soon be adopted, by almost 90% of communities throughout B.C., paving the way for more housing options for people with middle incomes.

Six-month progress updates from the first 10 priority communities selected for housing targets by the Province show that more than 4,000 net new homes have been built for people and more are coming as the second set of targets are released.

New regulations are in effect to standardize and improve community planning in the province and make it easier to get more homes for people built faster.

Thirty-eight local governments will soon receive a grant to create more efficient development approvals processes.