What are the Affordable Housing Income Limits in BC?

Most affordable housing programs in BC test your gross household income. The limit depends on where you live, how many bedrooms you need, and which program you are applying to. BC Housing publishes Housing Income Limits (HILs) for rent-geared-to-income (RGI) housing. Other programs, such as BC Builds and Community Housing Fund below-market units, use different ceilings and sometimes a floor as well. Read all about them here.

How to read these income limits

• Gross household income means total income before tax, added across every adult who will live in the home.
• Bedroom size is the unit size the program assesses you against, based on household composition.
• HIL ceilings are maximums. If you earn above the limit for your region and bedroom size, you usually do not qualify for RGI housing through the BC Housing Registry.
• Some programs have a floor and a ceiling. BC Builds is the clearest example. Earning too little can disqualify you as well as earning too much.

All HIL figures below come from BC Housing's Housing Income Limits table, effective December 2025.

Housing Income Limits by region

Vancouver area (Vancouver CMA)

These HILs apply across the Vancouver Census Metropolitan Area. That includes Vancouver ->, Surrey ->, Burnaby ->, Richmond ->, Coquitlam ->, New Westminster ->, Delta ->, White Rock ->, North Vancouver (City) ->, North Vancouver (District) ->, West Vancouver ->, Langley (City) ->, Langley (Township) ->, Maple Ridge ->, Pitt Meadows ->, Port Coquitlam ->, Port Moody ->, Whistler ->, and Bowen Island ->.

Maximum gross household income:

• Studio: $58,000
• 1 bedroom: $58,000
• 2 bedrooms: $72,000
• 3 bedrooms: $86,000
• 4+ bedrooms: $107,500

Abbotsford area (Abbotsford CMA)

These HILs apply to Abbotsford -> and Mission ->.

Maximum gross household income:

• Studio: $44,500
• 1 bedroom: $44,500
• 2 bedrooms: $55,000
• 3 bedrooms: $78,000
• 4+ bedrooms: $91,500

Chilliwack area (Chilliwack CMA)

These HILs apply to Chilliwack ->, Harrison Hot Springs ->, and Agassiz ->.

Maximum gross household income:

• Studio: $39,500
• 1 bedroom: $39,500
• 2 bedrooms: $54,000
• 3 bedrooms: $61,500
• 4+ bedrooms: $67,000

Squamish area

Squamish has its own HIL area, separate from the Lower Mainland Other band. These limits apply to Squamish ->.

Maximum gross household income:

• Studio: $52,500
• 1 bedroom: $52,500
• 2 bedrooms: $62,500
• 3 bedrooms: $72,500
• 4+ bedrooms: $92,000

Lower Mainland Other

These HILs apply to smaller Lower Mainland and nearby communities, including Hope ->, Powell River ->, Sechelt ->, Gibsons ->, and Pemberton ->.

Maximum gross household income:

• Studio: $41,000
• 1 bedroom: $41,000
• 2 bedrooms: $49,500
• 3 bedrooms: $57,500
• 4+ bedrooms: $67,000

Victoria area (Victoria CMA)

These HILs apply across the Capital Regional District, including Victoria ->, Saanich ->, Oak Bay ->, Esquimalt ->, View Royal ->, Central Saanich ->, North Saanich ->, Sidney ->, Langford ->, Colwood ->, Highlands ->, Metchosin ->, and Sooke ->.

Maximum gross household income:

• Studio: $50,000
• 1 bedroom: $50,000
• 2 bedrooms: $65,000
• 3 bedrooms: $82,000
• 4+ bedrooms: $95,500

Nanaimo area (Nanaimo CMA)

These HILs apply to Nanaimo -> and Lantzville ->.

Maximum gross household income:

• Studio: $44,000
• 1 bedroom: $44,000
• 2 bedrooms: $56,000
• 3 bedrooms: $63,500
• 4+ bedrooms: $74,000

Vancouver Island Other

These HILs apply to communities outside the Victoria and Nanaimo CMAs, including Campbell River ->, Courtenay ->, Comox ->, Cumberland ->, Parksville ->, Qualicum Beach ->, Port Alberni ->, Ladysmith ->, Duncan ->, North Cowichan ->, Lake Cowichan ->, Port Hardy ->, Tofino ->, and Ucluelet ->.

Maximum gross household income:

• Studio: $44,000
• 1 bedroom: $44,000
• 2 bedrooms: $55,500
• 3 bedrooms: $69,000
• 4+ bedrooms: $84,500

Kelowna area (Kelowna CMA)

These HILs apply to Kelowna ->, West Kelowna ->, Lake Country ->, and Peachland ->.

Maximum gross household income:

• Studio: $49,500
• 1 bedroom: $49,500
• 2 bedrooms: $65,500
• 3 bedrooms: $81,500
• 4+ bedrooms: $86,000

Kamloops area (Kamloops CMA)

These HILs apply to Kamloops ->, Chase ->, and Logan Lake ->.

Maximum gross household income:

• Studio: $43,000
• 1 bedroom: $43,000
• 2 bedrooms: $52,000
• 3 bedrooms: $62,500
• 4+ bedrooms: $72,500

Southern BC Other

These HILs apply to communities across the Thompson-Okanagan, Kootenays, and nearby areas that sit outside the Kelowna and Kamloops CMAs. That includes Penticton ->, Vernon ->, Salmon Arm ->, Merritt ->, Revelstoke ->, Oliver ->, Osoyoos ->, Summerland ->, Armstrong ->, Enderby ->, and many smaller communities in the same planning area.

Maximum gross household income:

• Studio: $41,000
• 1 bedroom: $41,000
• 2 bedrooms: $55,000
• 3 bedrooms: $79,500
• 4+ bedrooms: $86,500

Province-wide program income limits

HILs cover RGI housing. These programs use different published rules.

BC Builds

BC Builds is a provincial middle-income rental program. Rents target about 20% below the local market average. Unlike HIL programs, BC Builds has both a floor and a ceiling. You also need working income from employment, self-employment, or a business.

Gross household income range (effective January 2026):

• Studio: $84,780 to $143,900
• 1 bedroom: $84,780 to $143,900
• 2 bedrooms: $134,140 to $212,240
• 3 bedrooms: $134,140 to $212,240
• 4+ bedrooms: $134,140 to $212,240

Browse BC Builds rental programs ->.

Community Housing Fund below-market (LEM) units

Community Housing Fund (CHF) buildings often include Low End of Market (LEM) homes. These sit above RGI income limits and below BC Builds for many households. Income ceilings are published province-wide by bedroom size.

Maximum gross household income:

• Studio: $84,780
• 1 bedroom: $84,780
• 2 bedrooms: $134,140
• 3 bedrooms: $134,140
• 4+ bedrooms: $134,140

Browse non-profit below-market programs ->.

Shelter Aid For Elderly Renters (SAFER)

SAFER is a rent supplement for people aged 60 and over living in private rentals. It is province-wide.

Maximum gross household income:

• Any household size: $40,000

Your rent must also exceed about 30% of your gross monthly income. Browse rent supplement programs ->.

Rental Assistance Program (RAP)

RAP is a rent supplement for families with dependent children. It is province-wide.

Maximum gross household income:

• Any household size: $60,000

Canada-BC Housing Benefit (CBCHB)

CBCHB is a portable housing benefit. Income ceilings are based on household size, not bedroom count.

Maximum gross household income:

• Singles or couples with no children: $31,992
• Family of up to 4 people: $40,000
• Family of 5 or more: $44,400

Victoria Capital Region Housing Corporation (CRHC) streams

CRHC runs its own application streams in the Victoria area, separate from the BC Housing Registry waitlist. These cover Victoria -> and other Capital Region municipalities listed under the Victoria CMA above.

CRHC Affordable stream

Gross household income:

• Studio: $50,001 to $84,780
• 1 bedroom: $50,001 to $84,780
• 2 bedrooms: up to $134,140
• 3 bedrooms: up to $134,140

CRHC Subsidised stream

Maximum gross household income:

• Studio or 1 bedroom: $50,000
• 2 bedrooms: $65,000
• 3 bedrooms: $82,000
• 4+ bedrooms: $95,500

Municipal below-market programs

Many cities set their own below-market income bands building by building, often using Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) average rents for the area. Examples include Vancouver's Moderate Income Rental Housing Pilot Program (MIRHPP) buildings still in operation, Richmond Low End of Market Rental (LEMR), Surrey Affordable Rental Housing, Coquitlam below-market rental units, and North Vancouver Mid-Market Rental.

Those bands change with local rent data and Housing Agreements. Use the city pages and program directory to check current ranges for your bedroom size, then confirm with the building operator.

What to do with these numbers

An income limit tells you whether a program is worth checking. It does not reserve a home. Waitlists, unit supply, and secondary rules (residency, assets, working income, age) still apply.

Use Rentable to move from the number on this page to a concrete next step:

• Programs: -> Browse published affordable housing programs across BC. Filter by type, such as rent-geared-to-income, below-market, BC Builds, non-profit below-market, or rent supplements, to see who runs each program and how to apply.
• Providers: -> Find non-profit and other housing operators in your city. Use this when you are ready to contact the organisation that actually manages the homes.
• Locations: -> Open your city or region page to see which programs and providers serve that area, alongside local rental context.

If you want a faster match than scanning every table by hand, take the Rentable eligibility quiz. It asks about your household, income band, and cities, then maps you to published programs that fit those answers.

Take the Rentable quiz to see what your income qualifies for ->

Data sources: BC Housing Housing Income Limits, effective December 2025. BC Builds program income limits, effective January 2026. BC Housing program pages for SAFER, RAP, and CBCHB, verified April 2025. Community Housing Fund below-market income limits, BC government backgrounder, 2024, re-verified May 2026. Capital Region Housing Corporation eligibility pages, verified May 2026. Eligibility is confirmed at the time of application. Rules and income limits change. Check with the program directly before applying.