A new research tool identifies publicly owned land with potential for affordable housing in British Columbia. Early findings show over 50,000 parcels of such land across the province and up to 273,000 possible housing units on vacant or underused sites in Metro Vancouver alone. The B.C. Public Lands Map integrates federal, provincial and municipal data to locate suitable areas, from empty plots to unused government structures and parking lots.
Dr. Craig Jones of the Housing Assessment Resource Tools project noted that Canada faces an affordable housing shortage, with rates half those of other developed nations. Roughly 10 percent of households cannot afford suitable homes. Land acquisition can account for up to 60 percent of costs in Vancouver, but public sites could be offered at reduced or no cost to developers, cutting expenses significantly.
Previously, locating appropriate public land required slow review of multiple data layers on amenities, transit access, hazards and valuations. The new map streamlines this by linking directly to records from B.C. Assessment, the Land Title Survey Authority and various governments, creating the first province-wide inventory.
Jones stated the tool could reduce delivery costs and support larger nonprofit projects by lowering land expenses and speeding approvals. One example is a federal building site at Main and 10th in Vancouver, near future transit and services. The free map aligns with initiatives such as Build Canada Homes and estimates housing capacity per site. It also highlights options for mixed-use development with retail or services below housing.
Researchers aim to support existing government efforts to build on public land and encourage similar approaches elsewhere in Canada.
