The UBC Housing Action Plan (HAP) is a 30-year strategy for how the University uses the campus lands and financial resources to support student, faculty and staff housing choice and affordability.
The HAP was first adopted in 2012 by the UBC Board of Governors and is reviewed and updated every five years. The ten-year review of the HAP took place from early 2022 through early 2023.
The key highlights of the updated HAP that support faculty recruitment include:
- Increasing the portion of future faculty and staff rental housing to up to 25% (from 20%);
- Expanding and making permanent the Rent-Geared-to-Income (RGI) pilot programs, including the Faculty Temporary Rental Housing Support program, and increasing income eligibility limits;
- Increasing UBC’s Prescribed Interest Rate Loan Program funding to $20M (from $15M)
Faculty/Staff Rental Program
The Faculty/Staff Rental Program, one component of the HAP, offers rental housing on UBC Vancouver campus for faculty and staff. As of September 2025, there are over 1,400 rental housing units on campus, ranging in size from studios to four-bedroom units, including a good selection of pet-friendly suites. Units are continually being developed, including the introduction of 157 units in 2025. Visit the Housing & Relocation Services website for information on how faculty can apply for on-campus rental housing and contact the team for priority access for new faculty recruits.
- A Faculty Temporary Rental Housing Support Program (TRHS) to accommodate a total of 20 participants over two years paying rent capped at 30% of their pre-tax household income, subject to meeting eligibility requirements
Faculty Home Ownership Program (FHOP)
The Faculty Home Ownership Program (FHOP), another component of the HAP, was introduced in 2014 to make home ownership more affordable for UBC Vancouver faculty whose recruitment and retention is determined to be of critical strategic importance to UBC.
- The Prescribed Interest Rate Loan (PIRL) provides approved faculty members a one-time loan to assist with the purchase of a principal residence anywhere in Metro Vancouver. It is a 15-year low-interest and interest-payment-only repayable loan. Loan amounts range from $100,000 to $300,000.
- The FHOP also offers forgivable Down Payment Assistance loans of $50,000 to new tenure-stream faculty recruits.
Explore the Housing & Relocation Services website for more general information on finding access to rental or ownership programs, or email the team with any questions.