City of Vernon Mayor and Council are still keen about the potential for future housing collaborations with both provincial and federal governments, following conversations at the recent Union of BC Municipalities (UBCM) convention in Victoria.
Vernon’s Non-Market Housing Land Task Force, established by Council earlier this year, has started advocacy efforts with introductory conversations with senior government representatives around local housing opportunities on federal and provincial lands.
“The mandate of the Lands Task Force was to connect with decision makers at both the provincial and federal levels following the recent announcements that surplus government lands in B.C. communities will be considered for housing projects,” states Mayor Victor Cumming. “The UBCM Convention provided Vernon with the access we needed to share our housing package and engage directly with those driving policy.”
Vernon Mayor and Council had a sit-down meeting with the Honourable Christine Boyle, Provincial Minister of Housing and Municipal Affairs, where they were able to provide Vernon’s housing package. The package was also provided to the Honourable Gregor Robertson, Federal Minister of Housing and Infrastructure, and his staff.
Minister Boyle highlighted her working relationship with Minister Robertson and noted the value of the information provided by Council.
A collaborative approach to housing
Mayor and Council recognize that it is getting harder for people, especially those with low or moderate income, to find a place to live. The housing crisis is affecting not just individuals, but also our economy and overall community well-being.
While housing is mainly the responsibility of the provincial and federal governments, the City of Vernon is committed to support and is looking for collaborative and innovative local solutions. The City is engaging with senior levels of government in hopes of making public land available for affordable housing projects.
During his address to municipalities at the convention, Minister Robertson cited figures that Canada has less than 5 per cent non-market housing—far below peer countries—emphasizing the governments focus on increasing this percentage. He also mentioned the federal government would identify more surplus federal lands for affordable housing developments, noting that more sites would be announced later this fall.
Robertson also promoted the recently launched Build Canada Homes agency, which has an initial $13 billion capital investment to fund affordable and supportive housing projects. He reiterated that the new agency looks forward to financing projects, working in partnership with provincial, territorial, local and Indigenous governments to build non-market housing on an “unprecedented scale.”
Like Minister Robertson, City of Vernon Mayor and Council agree that housing is a human right and will continue to follow up on opportunities for housing collaborations to achieve further results for Vernon residents.