British Columbia unveils public lands map identifying thousands of parcels for affordable housing

A new research platform, the B.C. Public Lands Map, is identifying publicly owned parcels that could be repurposed for affordable housing across the province. Early analysis from the tool shows more than 50,000 publicly owned parcels in British Columbia, including vacant government buildings, empty plots and surface parking lots, and estimates that up to 273,000 housing units could be built on underused land in Metro Vancouver alone.

The map is the first of its kind in Canada, integrating federal, provincial and municipal data to highlight prime sites for development. By consolidating information on land ownership and availability, the tool aims to assist policymakers, developers and community groups in locating suitable locations for affordable‑housing projects, potentially easing the region’s housing shortage and informing future land‑use planning.