B.C. lowers threshold for homeowner grants as housing market cools

British Columbia has lowered the 2026 threshold for the provincial homeowner grant for residential properties to $2.075 million. That’s down from $2.175 million in 2025.

The government said Friday the basic grant amounts remain unchanged. Homeowners in the Capital Regional District, Fraser Valley Regional District and Metro Vancouver Regional District are eligible for up to $570 this year. Additional grants of up to $845 are available for seniors, veterans and people with disabilities with homes in those regions.

Properties outside those populous areas qualify for basic grants as high as $770 this year, with additional grants of up to $1,045 for eligible homeowners.

Homes valued above the threshold may still qualify for a partial grant.

To be eligible, a property must be the homeowner’s principal residence. Homeowners have to apply to get the grant. The province notes that homeowners who apply after their property-tax due date may face late-payment penalties. 

The province said nearly 500,000 seniors and more than 19,000 people with disabilities received additional homeowner grants last year.

The homeowner grant is adjusted each year, based on B.C. Assessment’s annual property value reporting.

The 2026 assessments were released on Friday, based on market values as of July 1st, 2025.

B.C. Assessment appraised more than 2.2 million homes last year, with a total value of $2.75 trillion.

“The softening housing market is being reflected in 2026 property assessments,” said Assessor Bryan Murao in the report.

He said the homeowners in the Lower Mainland can expect to see decreases in assessed value, while Vancouver Island and the Southern Interior were generally flatter in value.

There was more variability in properties in the North and the Kootenays, with value changes in the range of -5 per cent to +15 per cent.

The post B.C. lowers threshold for homeowner grants as housing market cools appeared first on AM 1150.

Emily Joveski
Emily Joveski
Emily is the provincial news reporter for Vista Radio, based in Victoria, B.C. She has worked in radio for more than a decade, and was previously on the airwaves as a broadcaster for The Canadian Press in Toronto.

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