More than two thirds would like to remove the full 5% Goods and Services Tax (GST) for new homes valued up to $1 million
Vancouver, BC [October 22, 2025] – Residents of British Columbia are ambivalent about the federal government’s recently announced affordable housing proposal, a new Research Co. poll has found.
In the online survey of a representative provincial sample, half of British Columbians (50%) have followed news related 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 worth $5 billion over the next decade.
Respondents to this survey were asked if they agreed or disagreed with four different statements related to the plan without revealing the politicians who made them.
More than three-in-five British Columbians (63%) think the plan “is another way to give people a chance to get into housing that wouldn’t otherwise have the chance”—a position expressed by British Columbia Premier David Eby.
Just under three-in-five British Columbians (59%) believe “converting unsold condos into affordable housing is about supporting Canadians, not distressed developers”—a view espoused by Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney.
More than half of British Columbians (55%) say the plan “bails out developers and banks for their bad bets instead of letting condo prices fall to an affordable level”—a statement made by federal Official Opposition and Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre.
Just over half of British Columbians (51%) claim the plan “wastes taxpayer dollars on artificially propping up developers”—as outlined by Linda Hepner, provincial Official Opposition Critic for Housing.
Just under half of British Columbians (48%) think the federal government’s plan to convert 2,200 unsold condos into affordable housing will be effective or ineffective in making housing more affordable in British Columbia, while 39% disagree and 13% are undecided.
“Majorities of British Columbians who voted for the Greens (57%) or the New Democrats (54%) in the 2024 provincial election think the federal government’s affordable housing plan will be successful,” says Mario Canseco, President of Research Co. “Only 38% of those who voted for the Conservatives share this view.”
The credibility of key players in the housing debate across British Columbia is lower than it was in April 2025, prior to the last federal election in Canada.
Just under half of British Columbians express “complete” or “moderate” trust in four people and institutions to deliver affordable housing in British Columbia: not-for-profit developers (49%, -8), their municipal government (47%, -5), the provincial government under the BC New Democratic Party (NDP) (46%, -4) and the federal government under the Liberal Party (also 46%, -5).
The rating is lower for the provincial government under the Conservative Party of BC (34%), the federal government under the Conservative Party (32%, -10) and for-profit developers (21%, -13).
More than two thirds of British Columbians (68%) would like to see the removal of the full 5% Goods and Services Tax (GST) for new homes valued up to $1 million. A similar program has been implemented in Ontario, which removes the full 13% of the Harmonized Sales Tax (HST) for new homes valued up to $1 million.
Three-in-four British Columbians (75%, +1 since October 2025) are in favour of banning non-Canadians (with exclusions for international students and temporary residents) from purchasing residential properties in Canada until 2027.
Just over two thirds of British Columbians (68%, +11) think the provincial government was right to implement a $400 renter’s tax credit for low- and moderate-income individuals and families, while fewer than three-in-ten (27%, -10) call on the provincial government to cancel the home owner grant, which reduces the amount of property tax people pay for their principal residence.
Most British Columbians also express support for municipal governments immediately dismantling any encampment or “tent city” located within their municipality (58%, -4) and for the federal government to tie immigration numbers to affordable housing targets and new housing starts (62%, -4).
Fewer than half of British Columbians (46%, -8) believe the actions of the provincial government will be effective in making housing more affordable in British Columbia.
More than three-in-five British Columbians continue to endorse five policies introduced when John Horgan served as the province’s premier: increasing the foreign buyers tax from 15% to 20% (69%, -5), expanding the foreign buyers tax to areas located outside of Metro Vancouver (68%, -5), introducing a “speculation tax” in specific urban areas targeting foreign and domestic homeowners who pay little or no income tax in BC, and those who own second properties that aren’t long-term rentals (68%, -2), introducing a tax of 0.2% on the value of homes between $3 million and $4 million, and a tax rate of 0.4% on the portion of a home’s value that exceeds $4 million (also 64%, -2), and increasing the property transfer tax from 3% to 5% for homes valued at more than $3 million (63%, -3).
Majorities of British Columbians support seven policies implemented during the tenure of current BC Premier David Eby: capping rent increases in 2026 at 2.3% (71%), building more modular supportive homes in areas where people are experiencing homelessness (69%, -4), raising the fines for short-term rental hosts who break local municipal by-laws to $3,000 per day per infraction (66%, +1), implementing a three-business-day protection period for financing and home inspections (also 66%, =), ending most strata age restrictions (60%, +2), banning homeowners from operating a short-term rental business unless it is located on their principal residence and/or on a different unit on their property (54%, -2), and removing strata rental restrictions (also 54%, -4).
Methodology: Results are based on an online survey conducted from July 13 to July 15, 2026, among 801 adults in British Columbia. The data has been statistically weighted according to Canadian census figures for age, gender and region in British Columbia. The margin of error—which measures sample variability—is +/- 3.5 percentage points, nineteen times out of twenty.
Find our data tables here and download the press release here.
For more information on this poll, please contact:
Mario Canseco, President, Research Co.
778.929.0490
[e] mario.canseco@researchco.ca