More Homes Are Coming to the Coast – Here Is Where Your Own Home Fits
If it feels like more housing is coming to the Sunshine Coast, you are reading the moment correctly. In a recent announcement, the Province and BC Housing highlighted 183 homes now open or underway across the Coast in a single bundle. It is a strong sign that the housing conversation here is active and well funded – and it is a good moment to explain where your own plans might fit.
What was just announced
The package pulls three Coast projects together. In Sechelt, 94 affordable rental homes for seniors are opening soon at the Greenecourt complex. In Gibsons, 33 middle-income rental homes and a new 43-space child care centre are open at O’Shea Place, aimed at local workers and families. And near Selma Park, construction is underway on 56 homes for shishalh Nation Elders and families. The Province says more than 510 homes have now been delivered or are underway on the Coast since 2017.
The detail worth pulling out
One practical point stands out. To help these projects pencil out, the local governments waived development cost charges – the fees a municipality collects on new construction to help pay for infrastructure. The District of Sechelt waived more than $630,000, and the Town of Gibsons provided roughly $615,000 in municipal development cost waivers along with land leased at a nominal value. It is a reminder that municipal charges are a real, and sometimes flexible, part of what a home costs. (These figures come from the government announcement; anyone planning a project should confirm current details with their local government.)
Where your own home fits
Most of that pipeline is larger, multi-unit, non-profit housing built by partnerships. But a lot of Coast owners are asking a smaller question: can I add a home on the land I already have? A second dwelling for family, a right-sized home to downsize into, or a small cluster under the new small-scale multi-unit rules.
That is the space where a factory-built home tends to shine. Because the price is set at the plant and the schedule is controlled while your site is prepared, two of the biggest variables in a build become more predictable. The home is built indoors to the same BC Building Code as any house, then set on your prepared site.
Start with what your lot allows
The homes in the news took planning and partnerships to reach the finish line. Your own project starts with a simpler, concrete step: knowing what your specific lot allows today. Zoning, servicing, and setbacks vary lot by lot on the Coast, and getting those facts first saves time and money later.
If a second home or a downsizer’s home is on your mind, start with our free Zoning Lookup to see what your lot allows, then bring those facts to your local government and a design partner who builds here.