Burnaby’s Mayor Says Approvals Aren’t the Problem Copy
Charles Song
6 min read
Governmental Plan
Introduction
On August 27, 2026, Burnaby Mayor Mike Hurley published a letter to residents titled “Five realities that should redirect the housing conversation in Burnaby.” It is a political perspective, and it makes the case for local planning authority, coordinated funding across governments and a sharper focus on affordability. The same week, factory-built modules were lifted into place at a modular housing pilot in East Burnaby, supported by Modular BC, the National Research Council and external pilot funding.
Introduction
On August 27, 2026, Burnaby Mayor Mike Hurley published a letter to residents titled “Five realities that should redirect the housing conversation in Burnaby.” It is a political perspective, and it makes the case for local planning authority, coordinated funding across governments and a sharper focus on affordability. The same week, factory-built modules were lifted into place at a modular housing pilot in East Burnaby, supported by Modular BC, the National Research Council and external pilot funding.
Burnaby’s message is clear: the bottleneck isn’t approvals — it’s whether projects can pencil out and get built.
Burnaby’s message is clear: the bottleneck isn’t approvals — it’s whether projects can pencil out and get built.
1. Approved Isn’t Built
The letter’s most striking number: Burnaby has about 25,000 approved housing units not yet under construction.
The City cannot compel developers to start building.
Metro Vancouver also has nearly 4,000 vacant, unsold units, according to the letter.
The mayor concludes that the core issue is affordability, not just approvals.
💡 Key point: When approved projects stall, the problem is usually cost, risk or schedule. Those are exactly the variables off-site construction is designed to improve.
2. Affordability Depends on Stable Funding
The letter argues that affordable housing needs coordinated action from federal, provincial and municipal governments.
The mayor points to the province’s role in capital funding, operating subsidies and BC Housing programs.
He states that the latest BC Budget reallocated nearly $1.4 billion in housing investments over three years and suspended the Community Housing Fund, which many non-profits relied on.
He warns this could slow affordable supply and push skilled workers out of the sector.
💡 Key point: When funding becomes less certain, every project must stretch its budget further. Cost and schedule certainty become essential, not optional.
3. Local Context Still Shapes What Gets Built
Burnaby has implemented the province’s small-scale multi-unit housing (SSMUH) rules with local adjustments.
Building heights one metre lower than the provincial guideline for three-storey SSMUH
Lot coverage below the recommended 60%
Larger front-yard setbacks and higher parking requirements where the City has authority
The City’s housing authority also has its first two projects underway, delivering 387 rental homes, including 183 townhomes with Mosaic.
💡 Key point: Standardized designs still need local calibration. Successful modular products are built to adapt to each municipality’s envelope, not just a generic one.
4. Modular Is Part of the Answer
The East Burnaby pilot will test whether modular construction can deliver some needed housing faster and more efficiently. The mayor calls it “not a silver bullet,” but an example of the innovation and collaboration the sector needs.
Faster delivery: Factory production runs in parallel with site work.
Cost predictability: Repeatable designs and controlled production reduce surprises.
Workforce resilience: Factory settings can help retain skilled trades when site labour is scarce.
💡 Key point: Modular won’t fix funding gaps or policy debates. It can make the projects that are funded go further and move faster.
1. Approved Isn’t Built
The letter’s most striking number: Burnaby has about 25,000 approved housing units not yet under construction.
The City cannot compel developers to start building.
Metro Vancouver also has nearly 4,000 vacant, unsold units, according to the letter.
The mayor concludes that the core issue is affordability, not just approvals.
💡 Key point: When approved projects stall, the problem is usually cost, risk or schedule. Those are exactly the variables off-site construction is designed to improve.
2. Affordability Depends on Stable Funding
The letter argues that affordable housing needs coordinated action from federal, provincial and municipal governments.
The mayor points to the province’s role in capital funding, operating subsidies and BC Housing programs.
He states that the latest BC Budget reallocated nearly $1.4 billion in housing investments over three years and suspended the Community Housing Fund, which many non-profits relied on.
He warns this could slow affordable supply and push skilled workers out of the sector.
💡 Key point: When funding becomes less certain, every project must stretch its budget further. Cost and schedule certainty become essential, not optional.
3. Local Context Still Shapes What Gets Built
Burnaby has implemented the province’s small-scale multi-unit housing (SSMUH) rules with local adjustments.
Building heights one metre lower than the provincial guideline for three-storey SSMUH
Lot coverage below the recommended 60%
Larger front-yard setbacks and higher parking requirements where the City has authority
The City’s housing authority also has its first two projects underway, delivering 387 rental homes, including 183 townhomes with Mosaic.
💡 Key point: Standardized designs still need local calibration. Successful modular products are built to adapt to each municipality’s envelope, not just a generic one.
4. Modular Is Part of the Answer
The East Burnaby pilot will test whether modular construction can deliver some needed housing faster and more efficiently. The mayor calls it “not a silver bullet,” but an example of the innovation and collaboration the sector needs.
Faster delivery: Factory production runs in parallel with site work.
Cost predictability: Repeatable designs and controlled production reduce surprises.
Workforce resilience: Factory settings can help retain skilled trades when site labour is scarce.
💡 Key point: Modular won’t fix funding gaps or policy debates. It can make the projects that are funded go further and move faster.
Conclusion
Burnaby’s letter reframes the housing conversation around one practical question: what does it take to turn approvals into homes? Funding, local planning and affordability all play a role. So does how buildings are delivered.
Off-site construction is one of the most effective tools for closing the gap between approval and occupancy. BuildMAX exists to help developers, non-profits and public partners put that tool to work.
