(In this guest column, Starlight Investments’ David Woo explains how his firm is meeting B.C.’s housing challenge through collaborative rental development.)

By David Woo, Vice-president, Development, Western Canada, Starlight Investments

British Columbia’s appeal as a place to live and work continues to drive population growth across both urban centres and suburban communities. While this growth reflects the province’s economic and lifestyle strengths, it has also intensified a structural challenge that has persisted for years: a shortage of purpose-built rental housing capable of meeting the needs of residents across income levels and life stages.

Governments at all levels have acknowledged the scale of this challenge. Federal initiatives such as Build Canada Homes and the Apartment Construction Loan Program, combined with provincial and municipal policies encouraging density, mixed-use development, and transit-oriented communities, are helping to create the conditions needed to unlock new rental supply. The success of these efforts, however, ultimately depends on execution — on converting policy into homes.

At Starlight Investments, we view our role as a long-term housing delivery partner. Across British Columbia, we are actively advancing purpose-built rental communities that align with local housing targets, contribute to neighbourhood vitality, and support municipal growth objectives.

Structural Pressures on Rental Housing Supply

British Columbia’s rental housing imbalance is the result of several converging factors.

Development timelines remain prolonged due to regulatory complexity, rising construction costs, and limited availability of serviced land. At the same time, much of the housing delivered over the past decade has skewed toward for-sale product, leaving purpose-built rental housing significantly undersupplied.

Compounding this issue is the aging nature of existing rental stock. Many communities were built decades ago and now require reinvestment to maintain livability, safety, and energy performance. Ensuring long-term housing resilience requires both the preservation of existing rental communities and the steady addition of new supply.

Population growth has further intensified demand. British Columbia recorded its fastest annual population growth since the 1970s between 2022 and 2023, placing additional strain on already limited rental availability—particularly in employment-rich urban areas and fast-growing suburban municipalities.

Delivering Rental Housing at Meaningful Scale

Responding effectively to this challenge requires projects that move beyond incremental supply and meaningfully advance municipal housing goals.

In downtown Victoria, Harris Green Village represents a significant step forward. Now under construction, the three-phase mixed-use community will deliver more than 1,500 new rental homes upon completion, including 526 suites in its initial phase and 80 affordable rental homes. As the largest multi-family housing project in Victoria’s history, Harris Green Village will also introduce approximately 100,000 square feet of commercial and retail space, contributing to downtown revitalization while supporting housing density where it is most needed.

Designed as a transit-oriented, community-integrated development, Harris Green Village reflects a collaborative approach between the City of Victoria and the private sector — one that prioritizes publicly accessible open space, walkability, and long-term neighbourhood vitality alongside housing delivery.

Elsewhere on Vancouver Island, Starlight recently completed Bella Vista in Central Saanich, a 235-suite purpose-built rental community that accounted for approximately 40 percent of the municipality’s five-year rental housing target. Since opening in early 2025, the community has achieved full occupancy, underscoring sustained demand for new rental housing in the region and reinforcing the value of coordinated planning between developers and local governments.

In Langford, The District—a nearly 600-suite purpose-built rental community spanning four buildings—has been designed around shared spaces and amenities that foster connection and support active lifestyles, with direct access to trails, nearby lakes, and everyday retail. Leasing is now underway at the first two residences, and we are excited to begin welcoming new residents.

In Metro Vancouver, Starlight’s role as a housing provider extends to infill and urban intensification. The Lively, completed in North Vancouver’s Lower Lonsdale neighbourhood, recently introduced 40 new rental homes through a mix of apartments and townhomes. Importantly, the development includes four below-market rental homes for seniors, delivered in partnership with the City of North Vancouver and local non-profit organizations, demonstrating how targeted affordability can be integrated into market rental projects.

Together, these developments illustrate a consistent approach: delivering rental housing at scale, across diverse markets, while aligning with municipal priorities around density, affordability, and complete communities.

Collaboration as a Catalyst for More Supply

Across British Columbia, our experience reinforces a clear lesson: housing delivery accelerates when municipalities, developers, and all levels of government work in partnership. Meaningful collaboration is essential to maximizing positive outcomes, reducing the cost of delivering housing, and ensuring projects remain viable in today’s challenging environment.

Early engagement with local governments allows projects to be shaped collaboratively, balancing design, density, and infrastructure considerations with community needs. Equally important is transparent dialogue with residents and stakeholders, ensuring new rental housing contributes positively to neighbourhood character, public space, and local services.

From downtown Victoria to suburban Vancouver Island and the North Shore, these collaborative processes have helped streamline approvals, mitigate risk, and deliver housing more efficiently without compromising quality or long-term community outcomes.

A Long-Term Commitment to British Columbia

British Columbia’s housing challenge will not be solved by a single project or policy. It requires sustained effort, coordinated planning, and experienced delivery partners capable of executing at scale.

With 17 active development projects across the Lower Mainland and Vancouver Island and a pipeline positioned to deliver thousands of new rental homes over the coming decade, Starlight Investments remains committed to supporting the province’s housing objectives. Through disciplined investment, community-focused design, and strong municipal partnerships, we are proud to contribute to addressing British Columbia’s rental housing shortage—one complete community at a time.