01/24/2026
FACT CHECK: Surrey has made several recent moves aimed at increasing affordable housing supply and protecting renters.
Between 2022 and 2024, the city partnered with BC Housing, CMHC and non-profit providers to deliver 728 new affordable housing units, supported in part by federal Housing Accelerator funding.
In 2025, Surrey updated its Affordable Housing Strategy, introducing “as-of-right” zoning for non-market rental projects up to six storeys, allowing them to proceed without lengthy rezoning. The city also adopted a rental-replacement policy to help protect existing tenants when older rental buildings are redeveloped.
On the ground, projects are already coming online. Habitat @ 81st, a recent BC Housing–led development, added 100 new purpose-built rental homes, including units designed for people with disabilities and on-site community supports.
Bottom line: Surrey is pairing policy changes with actual construction to address housing affordability, not just planning it.