British Columbians may not agree on every housing policy, but a new Research Co. poll points to one clear affordability message: voters want governments to reduce the cost of getting homes built and purchased.
The July 23 Research Co. release, also picked up in the scanner through Business in Vancouver, found mixed reaction in British Columbia to the federal government’s plan to convert 2,200 unsold condos into affordable “rent-to-buy” housing as part of a larger housing plan. The poll tested several statements about the proposal without naming the politicians who made them.
The results show a province that is open to solutions, but skeptical about whether government spending alone will solve the crisis. According to Research Co., 63% agreed with the view that the plan gives people a chance to get into housing who otherwise would not. At the same time, 55% agreed with the statement associated with federal Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre that the plan “bails out developers and banks for their bad bets instead of letting condo prices fall to an affordable level.” A similar 51% agreed with the statement associated with Conservative Party of BC housing critic Linda Hepner that the plan “wastes taxpayer dollars on artificially propping up developers.”
That does not mean voters are against helping people into homes. It means many voters want housing policy to be tested against a simple standard: will it make homes more affordable for ordinary Canadians, or will it mainly protect the balance sheets of insiders?
The strongest result in the poll may be the most practical one. Research Co. found that 68% of British Columbians would like to remove the full 5% Goods and Services Tax on new homes valued up to $1 million. That is a voter-resource issue because it is easy to understand. Taxes embedded in the price of new housing increase the final cost paid by buyers, financed by mortgages, or passed along through rents. Reducing those costs can make new supply more attainable, especially for younger families and first-time buyers trying to stay in the communities where they work.
This is a constructive provincial conservative angle. It does not require pretending one tax change will fix the whole housing crisis. B.C. faces a deep supply shortage, high land costs, slow permitting, infrastructure bottlenecks, and intense pressure in major regions. But voters can still ask whether governments are making the problem cheaper or more expensive.
A Conservative-friendly housing message can be positive and practical: get more homes built, reduce taxes on new supply, speed approvals, protect taxpayers from poorly designed bailouts, and measure every program by whether it lowers the cost of housing for real people.
The poll also found that 62% supported tying federal immigration numbers to affordable housing targets and new housing starts. That result should be handled carefully and respectfully. Canada benefits from immigration, and newcomers are not to blame for government planning failures. But voters are entitled to expect population growth, infrastructure, and housing construction to be planned together. A responsible affordability discussion should focus on capacity, services and housing starts — not division.
There is also a useful accountability lesson for B.C. voters. When a government announces a headline-grabbing housing plan, voters can ask:
- How many net new homes will this create?
- What is the cost per unit?
- Who receives the subsidy or benefit?
- Will the plan lower market prices or keep them elevated?
- Are taxpayers taking on risk that should remain with developers or lenders?
- How will success be measured after one year, three years and five years?
- Are tax and permitting barriers being reduced at the same time?
Pierre Poilievre’s critique, as tested in the Research Co. poll, appears to resonate with a majority of British Columbians because it speaks to fairness. People who played by the rules should not be priced out while governments use public dollars to prop up bad bets. Linda Hepner’s provincial Conservative critique also fits the same affordability standard: housing policy should help buyers, renters and communities — not simply recycle public money through expensive programs with uncertain outcomes.
For iVoteConservative.ca readers, the positive story is that there is room for a common-sense housing consensus in British Columbia. Voters want compassion for people locked out of the market, but they also want discipline with tax dollars. They want more homes, but not blank cheques. They want population growth matched with infrastructure and supply. And they clearly support reducing taxes that make new homes more expensive.
That is a strong voter-resource message: ask every provincial and federal representative how their housing plan lowers the real cost of a home.
Why it matters for voters
Housing affordability is not abstract in British Columbia. It affects whether young families can stay near parents, whether workers can live near jobs, whether seniors can downsize, and whether communities remain economically healthy. The Research Co. poll suggests voters are looking for practical relief — especially tax relief on new homes — and are skeptical of plans that may protect developers more than buyers and renters.