Whereas communities across the province are unable to find desperately needed workers in the trades, healthcare, education, and childcare because of the unaffordability of housing; And whereas the loss of affordable rental housing is inextricably linked to the dire social and public health concerns that municipalities across the province are struggling to adequately address; And whereas the unaffordability of housing limits the ability of renters to contribute to local economies, as noted by Leilani Farha the former United Nations Special Rapporteur on housing and current Global Director of THE SHIFT, a housing initiative to actualize the housing as a basic human right: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM ask the Province of British Columbia to implement vacancy control on rental units owned by financial landlords, including but not limited to corporate landlords and real estate investment trusts.
