Port Coquitlam lags on housing targets; six-month report ‘too early,’ says mayor

Despite having a host of development projects in the pipeline, fewer than a dozen homes have been added to Port Coquitlam recently, according to a six-month interim report.

Following last year’s provincial order, Port Coquitlam is aiming to add 343 units by July 31 and a total of 2,279 new housing units by the summer of 2029.

Between August 2024 and Jan. 31, 2025, the city added a net total of 11 units of housing.

“Six months is too early, I think, to offer a fair assessment,” Mayor Brad West said Tuesday.

The city approved 23 units for occupancy over that six-month stretch. However, 12 units were demolished during the same period.

Noting the number of project in the queue, West added there would likely be more commentary as the 12-month mark.

During the city’s first six months under the provincial housing mandate, Port Coquitlam staff approved permits for 95 new units.

While the net increase is “modest,” a “substantial number of units,” are slated to be approved and built in the coming year, according to city staff.

The initial housing numbers are: “a measure of previous policy decisions and applications already in the development pipeline,” according to city staff.

The total amount of housing mandated by the province is based on addressing both the current housing shortage and projected population growth.

The city recently received $10.3 million from the federal government to fast-track the construction of 287 homes within the next three years.

Later this year, council is set to consider a six-tower, 2,000 unit development – the biggest in the city’s history.

A pair of towers totalling 358 units are currently under construction at Westwood Street and Anson Avenue.

Related: Port Moody on track to hit first provincial housing targets, but staff ‘unsure’ of completion rate by 5-year deadline