Provincial State of Affairs
The Minister Responsible
The most recent Minister Responsible for housing’s mandate letter failed to mention accessible housing
The Building Code
The BC Building Code was updated in 2024 to include some adaptability requirements in a limited number of units of some multi-unit buildings.
The Accessible BC Act
Accessible housing is not specifically mentioned in BC’s accessibility legislation. However, there is nothing limiting the development of standards to those areas.
https://www.bclaws.gov.bc.ca/civix/document/id/complete/statreg/21019
Reports on the need for accessible housing
2024 – 2025 Report on Homeless Counts in BC
https://hsa-bc.ca/_Library/2024_25_HC/2024-2025_Report_on_Homeless_Counts_in_BC.pdf
40% percent of respondents identified as having a physical disability.
26% of respondents identified as having an acquired brain injury.
66% of respondents identified as having a mental health condition
Royal College of Occupational Therapists 2026 (UK) report on health and housing
Poor housing is damaging people’s health and driving pressure on services
https://www.rcot.co.uk/latest-news/poor-housing-damaging-health-driving-pressure-health-services
“Everyone lives somewhere, but housing is too often treated as an afterthought in health and care, meaning people are reaching the point of crisis before they get support.”
Living not existing: The economic and social value of wheelchair user homes.
Habinteg (UK) research into the social and economic value of wheelchair user homes
https://www.habinteg.org.uk/download.cfm?doc=docm93jijm4n3935
Building an accessible home for an adult wheelchair user can save 4 times the amount of the cost.
Canadian Commission on Building and Fire Codes, 2021
ccbfc_policy_position_paper_on_accessibility_in_buildings.pdf
“The CCBFC believes that there is strong justification for regulating accessibility requirements in the National Building Code.”
DAWN Canada Fact Sheet: Women with Disabilities and Housing, 2014
https://dawncanada.net/resource/factsheet-women-with-disabilities-and-housing-2/
“Women with disabilities face high levels of poverty and unemployment, putting them at a disadvantage when it comes to being able to meet their housing and financial needs. In addition to financial barriers, women with disabilities face issues of access, which include inaccessible buildings, as well as being subjected to discriminatory housing practices… securing affordable, accessible and safe housing remains a significant issue and challenge for women with disabilities across Canada.”
SCI-BC Housing Survey, 2015
SCI-BC-Housing-Survey-Report.pdf
“From both the literature and our results, we can see a definite need for more accessible and affordable housing options. This need will become more acute as our population ages.”
Community Living BC and Inclusion BC, 2020
“Many structural factors continue to work against the goal of independent living. There is a lack of affordable and accessible housing options in communities throughout B.C., and especially in rural and more remote communities. The cost of rent in most regions of B.C. has well exceeded the resources available to most individuals with disabilities from government assistance and employment income. The timing of available housing and available supports do not always coincide, making independent living more difficult to achieve.”