In B.C. politics, there are only two speeds: glacial, and pedal-to-the-metal.

In housing and development reform, it鈥檚 been years of the glacial speed, first under the BC Liberals and then for a term-and-three-quarters under the NDP. But now, everything is happening at once.

An incomplete list of the changes introduced over the last few months by Housing Minister Ravi Kahlon includes:

鈥� Triplexes, fourplexes, and in some areas, sixplexes to be allowed on most single family lots, depending on size and availability of transit

鈥� A crackdown on Airbnb and VRBO, including a near total ban on non-residential short-term rentals

鈥� Changes to how towns and cities zone and plan for future development, including eliminating most public hearings

鈥� Changes to development cost charges and amenity contributions cities collect from developers

鈥� Increased density around transit hubs, and

鈥� Funding for non-profits to buy up and manage existing rental buildings, preserving it from re-development.

Most of the changes will take effect over the next six to eight months, as cities scramble to change their procedures and update regulations.

It鈥檚 an enormous amount of change, much of it without precedent in Canada. Among other things, single-family zoning in urban and suburban areas is soon to be as dead as a dodo in British Columbia 鈥� something only a handful of jurisdictions in the western world have tried.

For years, the public has been told that the spiralling cost of housing was a result of a lack of supply, compounded by slow approvals at various city halls.

These reforms appear to be a real attempt to clear out those blockages.

Developers can now build more homes, faster, in more places, and in configurations 鈥� like the fourplexes 鈥� that were almost entirely unheard of before in B.C.

If these work, the ball will be in the court of municipal governments, developers, and landowners.

Now the question is, will these reforms do enough?

Is there an appetite for new forms of 鈥渕issing middle鈥� housing in existing neighbourhoods? Will people flock to transit-adjacent condos that have fewer parking spots? If there is a flood of construction, will anyone be able to afford the new rental units or homes, or are we just building more multi-million-dollar boxes for speculators?

Whatever happens, at least Victoria finally stepped on the gas on housing reform.