The federal ban on foreign ownership of residential real estate isn't going away quietly. A new Research Co. poll found that 74% of British Columbians agree with the federal government's decision to ban non-Canadians, with exclusions for international students and temporary residents, from purchasing residential properties in Canada until 2027.

That's up four points from a similar poll conducted in February 2024. Support isn't weakening. It's growing.

"The federal ban on foreign ownership of real estate is not a contentious issue in British Columbia," says Mario Canseco, President of Research Co. "The policy is endorsed by sizeable majorities of the province's residents whose heritage is Indigenous (82%), South Asian (78%), European (76%) or East Asian (67%)."

The numbers cut across demographics. This isn't a policy that splits people along cultural or ethnic lines. It's broadly popular across the board.

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The $400 Renters' Credit Is Popular Too

More than half of British Columbians, 57%, think the provincial government was right to implement a $400 renters' credit for households earning up to $63,000 a year. That's up eight points from earlier polling.

Support reaches 63% among British Columbians who rent. Makes sense. If you're renting and your household income is under $63,000, a $400 credit matters. It's not life-changing money, but it helps.

The fact that support is climbing suggests people are either benefiting from it directly or they see it as a reasonable policy for affordability.

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A Third Want the Home Owner Grant Cancelled

Here's where it gets interesting. More than a third of British Columbians, 37%, want the provincial government to cancel the home owner grant, which reduces the amount of property tax people pay for their principal residence. That's up eight points.

This one is more divisive. Homeowners generally benefit from the grant. Renters don't. So you'd expect some split in opinion based on housing tenure.

But the fact that support for cancelling it is growing suggests a shift in how people think about housing policy. When affordability is tight, policies that primarily benefit existing homeowners start looking less fair to people who can't get into the market.

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Tie Immigration to Housing Targets

More than three in five British Columbians, 66%, support the federal government tying immigration numbers to affordable housing targets and new housing starts. That's up one point, but support has remained consistently high.

This isn't about being anti-immigration. It's about capacity. If housing supply can't keep pace with population growth, affordability gets worse. People see that connection clearly.

The poll also found that 62% of British Columbians support municipal governments immediately dismantling any encampment or "tent city" located within their municipality. Support is highest in Metro Vancouver at 66%, up seven points.

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Optimism About Provincial Action Is Climbing

For the first time since June 2020, more than half of British Columbians, 54%, expect the actions of the provincial government to be effective in making housing more affordable. That's up 13 points.

Majorities of British Columbians aged 18 to 34, 59%, and aged 35 to 54, 56%, are optimistic about the provincial government's actions. That drops to 46% for those aged 55 and over.

Younger people are more optimistic about housing policy than older people. That tracks. Younger people are the ones struggling most to get into the market. If they see movement on affordability, they notice.

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The John Horgan Era Policies Still Hold Strong

The housing policies implemented during John Horgan's tenure as Premier remain popular in 2025. At least two thirds of the province's residents endorse several key measures.

Seventy-four percent support increasing the foreign buyers tax from 15% to 20%. Seventy-three percent back expanding the foreign buyers tax to areas outside of Metro Vancouver, up two points.

Seventy percent support the speculation tax in specific urban areas targeting foreign and domestic homeowners who pay little or no income tax in BC, and those who own second properties that aren't long-term rentals. That's up one point.

Sixty-six percent support increasing the property transfer tax from 3% to 5% for homes valued at more than $3 million, up four points. The same percentage backs introducing a tax of 0.2% on the value of homes between $3 million and $4 million, and a tax rate of 0.4% on the portion of a home's value that exceeds $4 million, also up four points.

These aren't small taxes. They're substantial. And support for them is holding steady or climbing. That tells you how people feel about high-end real estate investment in BC right now.

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David Eby's Policies Are Popular Too

Policies brought forward after David Eby took over as Premier are also backed by majorities of British Columbians.

Seventy-three percent support building more modular supportive homes in areas where people are experiencing homelessness, down two points but still strong.

Seventy percent back capping rent increases in 2025 at 3%, up four points. When rent is eating up more of your income every year, a cap feels like relief.

Sixty-six percent support implementing a three-business-day protection period for financing and home inspections, down three points.

Sixty-five percent back raising the fines for short-term rental hosts who break local municipal bylaws to $3,000 per day per infraction, down four points. That's a serious fine, and most people are fine with it.

Fifty-eight percent support removing strata rental restrictions, up six points. Another 58% back ending most strata age restrictions, down two points.

Fifty-six percent support banning homeowners from operating a short-term rental business unless it's located on their principal residence or on a different unit on their property, down two points.

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What This All Means

British Columbians are not backing away from aggressive housing policy. If anything, they want more of it.

Support for the foreign buyers ban is climbing. Support for tying immigration to housing capacity remains high. Support for taxes targeting foreign buyers, speculators, and high-end properties is strong or growing.

And for the first time in years, a majority of people think the provincial government's actions will actually make housing more affordable. That's not a small shift. That's people starting to believe that change is possible.

The younger you are, the more optimistic you are. That makes sense. If you're 30 and trying to buy your first home, you're watching policy closely because it directly impacts your life. If you're 65 and own your home outright, provincial housing policy matters less to you personally.

But even among older British Columbians, support for most of these policies remains solid. This isn't a generational war. It's a broad consensus that housing affordability is a crisis and that governments need to act.

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The Politics of Housing Are Shifting

Ten years ago, suggesting a foreign buyers tax or a speculation tax would have been controversial. Now these policies have 70% to 74% support. That's not a slim majority. That's a mandate.

The political risk isn't in implementing these policies. It's in not implementing them, or implementing them too slowly, or watering them down.

British Columbians have watched housing costs climb for years. They've watched wages fail to keep pace. They've watched their kids struggle to afford rent, let alone buy a home. And they're done being patient.

The fact that optimism about provincial action is climbing suggests people see movement. They see policies being implemented. They see governments trying. And that matters.

But optimism is fragile. If housing costs don't actually come down, if supply doesn't improve, if affordability remains out of reach for the next generation, that optimism will evaporate fast.

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What Comes Next

The federal foreign buyers ban runs until 2027. Support for it is climbing, not falling. Don't expect it to expire quietly. There will be pressure to extend it or make it permanent.

The provincial policies, the taxes on foreign buyers, the speculation tax, the rent caps, are all popular. Governments have political cover to maintain them or strengthen them.

And the push to tie immigration to housing capacity isn't going away. People see the math. More people need more homes. If supply can't keep up, prices rise. It's not complicated.

The challenge for policymakers is converting that political support into actual results. Support for policies is one thing. Homes getting built is another. Prices coming down is another.

British Columbians are giving their governments room to act. They're supporting aggressive policy. They're even starting to believe it might work.

Now governments need to deliver.