WHEREAS one in five BC households is in core-need housing need and 15 are paying more than 50 of gross household income on rent: THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the UBCM urge the Province to: - match the federal funding for affordable housing included in the 2005 budget 1.6 billion over the next two years that will be allocated to BC; - develop the program framework for investing the federal and provincial funding; and - through BC Housing, initiate the development of social housing to meet the needs of vulnerable households across BC as soon as possible.
Ministry of Forests and Range Since June 2001, the provincial government has committed funding for the construction of over 4,600 new units of subsidized housing through the Provincial Housing Program and the Community Partnerships Initiative. The government is focusing on providing assistance to those in greatest need. This includes frail seniors, people with physical and mental disabilities, families who have experienced violence and those who are homeless or at risk of homelessness. Our aim is to give priority to those individuals or families with special housing needs, who cannot be adequately served by the private rental market. The provincial government welcomes the contributions the federal government is making to affordable housing through the two Affordable Housing Agreements signed with British Columbia in 2001 and 2004 and the allocation of 1.6 billion for housing in the 2005 federal budget. The provincial government has contributed 130.7 million to match the federal contribution under the two agreements, and the combined contributions are being used to develop a continuum of affordable housing with support services. In addition, the Province has increased funding for housing programs to nearly 172 million for the 20052006 fiscal year, the largest annual level ever in BC. The federal government, provinces and territories are currently involved in discussions to develop a framework and principles to guide initiatives to address the need for long-term sustainable improvements to housing in Canada. Through the development of a provincial housing strategy, the provincial government is taking a comprehensive approach to meeting the housing needs of British Columbians. We are working to help ensure appropriate housing solutions are available for vulnerable households in greatest need, while also reviewing ways to improve market housing affordability overall.