The short answer
Burnaby's housing costs are driven by supply, approval speed and the mix of what gets built. Vision 2030 would speed up permitting, open a rent-to-own pathway, and push for family-sized and rental homes — not towers alone — so people who grew up here can afford to stay.
Three things to know
- Every month a permit sits in a queue adds carrying costs that end up in the price or the rent.
- A city that builds only one type of home pushes out families, seniors downsizing nearby, and young workers.
- Rent-to-own gives renters a path to ownership without requiring a full down payment on day one.
The honest comparison
What residents are asking
- Will my kids ever be able to buy a home in the city they grew up in?
- Why do approved projects sit for months before anything is built?
- What happens to me as a tenant when my building is redeveloped?
My approach
- Make permitting faster and more predictable, with published timelines and a status a resident can look up.
- Open a rent-to-own pathway so renters can build equity instead of only building someone else's.
- Push for a real mix — rentals, townhomes and family-sized units — and hold the line on commitments made to tenants.
What you can hold me to
- 01Publish permit processing times by application type every quarter, and set targets we are measured against.
- 02Bring forward a rent-to-own framework with provincial and non-profit partners in the first year.
- 03Report annually on the housing mix actually delivered, not just the units announced.
Elect Bill Petrovas
For Mayor of Burnaby
“I want a Burnaby where people can afford to stay: families can build a future and seniors can age with dignity in the city they built.”
#Burnaby #Housing #Affordability
Vote Oct. 17, 2026 · Your vote is your voice
Questions people ask
- What is rent-to-own housing?
- A model where part of the rent you already pay builds toward a future down payment, so renters have a route to ownership. It needs city, provincial and non-profit partners to work at scale.
- Can a city really affect housing prices?
- Not alone, but a city controls zoning, approval speed, fees and what gets built. Those levers move real costs.
- Does faster approval mean less consultation?
- No. It means consulting early and clearly, then deciding on a timeline, instead of leaving neighbours and builders waiting without answers.
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Read the briefAnnouncements are not accomplishments. Debt free is not waste free. Vote Saturday, October 17, 2026 — your vote is your voice.
Burnaby's next chapter needs you in it
Knock doors, host a coffee meeting, put up a sign, or simply pass this page to a neighbour. Every conversation counts before Saturday, October 17, 2026.