UBCM Executive is in Victoria this week to meet with the Premier, Cabinet Ministers, the Leader of the Opposition and other MLAs to discuss core priorities for the coming year. As the trade war with the United States continues, UBCM is making the case for local infrastructure stimulus spending to support the economy. UBCM board members are also highlighting the need for additional investments to expand affordable and supportive housing, and targeted spending to increase mental health and complex care facilities.
The trade war with the United States is a threat to BC’s economy, but we aren’t without options. Public investment in local infrastructure is a proven tool for economic growth: Every $1 spent on infrastructure generates $1.14 in gross domestic product, creates good jobs and stimulates new business spin-offs.
We’re asking the Province for immediate, strategic stimulus investments in local government infrastructure, and a long-term funding program to follow it up.
Another focus of UBCM meetings are the costs to local government as we help the Province address housing shortfalls by contributing land, covering servicing costs, offering nominal leases, and waiving property taxes and development cost charges. These contributions effectively lower the barrier to creating affordable housing, but come at a significant cost to local governments.
Recognizing that housing is an area of provincial and federal jurisdiction, we are asking for the Province to scale up investment in affordable and supportive housing beyond its Budget 2025 commitments, commit to sharing a portion of the property transfer tax with local governments, and improve BC Housing operations to alleviate the growing wait lists for subsidized housing.
Finally, local governments are being forced to step in to respond to the mental health and substance use issues facing 1 in 5 British Columbians. More and more, local firefighters and police are responding to emergency calls that are matters of emergency healthcare.
Pre-hospital care is a provincial responsibility under the Emergency Health Services Act, but local governments are filling the gap and taking on the costs. We’re asking for the Province to reduce the downloading of pre-hospital care to local governments by providing long-term, expanded funding for the programs that are already working — such as HEART and HEARTH for homeless response – and to fund sufficient long-term mental health and complex care facilities.
None of these issues can be addressed by a single order of government, and we look forward to meaningful collaboration with the Province on common priorities.