Mar 31, 2022 – For decades, most intra-provincial migration has gone to smaller cities like Victoria, Kelowna and Chilliwack. Citizens are searching for more affordable housing, more living space and a high quality of life. Although metropolitan Vancouver and Victoria remain the top choices for people migrating to B.C. from other provinces and territories, interprovincial migration to small towns has surged since 2015.
While growth, and the ability to attract residents, are good news for non-metropolitan BC communities, metro-migration to smaller communities has exposed challenges in the non-metropolitan housing market and created new pressures for those communities. Affordability challenges due to high demand, low supply, and a sudden influx of capital are one aspect; the state of the housing stock and a lack of appropriate housing meeting today’s standards and expectations for people from all ages and stages of life pose another important barrier.
