More British Columbians are moving to smaller towns, the report shows Globalnews.ca

It seems that more and more British Columbians are leaving the hustle and bustle of urban areas and offering smaller towns for a quieter lifestyle.

According to a recent survey, migration from the metropolitan area to small communities has increased since 2015.

Marilyn Morris, co-director of the Community Development Institute, said: “One of the things we’ve been seeing for a while now is that people are moving from big metropolitan cities to smaller communities.”

A new report by researchers from the UNBC Community Development Institute and the UBC Housing Research Collaborative shows how this trend is affecting small communities.

“We’re starting to see this because we’re hearing from community leaders and others that housing is having a real impact on the economic development prospects and community development prospects in non-metropolitan British Columbia,” Morris said.

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Morris said the cost of living is one of the many reasons people often leave the metropolitan area for small communities. But increased demand for housing often raises prices for everyone.

“When people think about buying a home, buying a home in a non-metropolitan area is much less expensive than in a metropolitan area,” said Morris.

According to researchers, affordability is a ‘big concern’.

“Most of the housing stock is old and in need of major repairs. Most homes are single detached houses, which reduces housing options. The arrival of new residents could also put pressure on municipal services, ”read the report.

Studies have shown that high migration can also positively affect economic growth and living standards in small towns.

“It’s wonderful for the community. When new people move into communities, it stimulates the economy, “Morris added.

The trend has been influenced by the epidemic, which has shown employees that it is possible to work from home by denying the need to live in the city.

The study also looked at inter-provincial and inter-provincial migration patterns. According to Craig Jones, Associate Director of UBC Housing Research Collaborative, BC has seen an increase in interstate migration since 2015.

“BC has a really strong net profit – more people are moving to British Columbia from other parts of Canada than coming out of British Columbia,” Jones said.

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