WHEREAS the Province of British Columbia has identified that there is a province wide housing shortage and has committed to ensuring that there is affordable and appropriate housing; AND WHEREAS this problem is currently being exacerbated by the dwindling forest economy and the resulting loss of jobs: THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Union of British Columbia Municipalities lobby the Province of British Columbia for a strategy to utilize the use of the pine beetle affected timber in construction of homes within the Province of British Columbia and that the BC mills be utilized as part of the strategy to address the housing shortage.
MINISTRY OF FORESTS RANGE MINISTRY OF HOUSING SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT The vast majority of the structural wood used in BC residential construction already comes from BC mills in BC communities. At this time, by virtue of the ongoing salvage program, a large proportion of lumber used in BC is inevitably MPB-affected wood. For example, in 200607, almost 40 of the logs used to manufacture lumber in the Interior were lodge pole pine from MPB affected areas. The BC Government and the Ministry of Forests and Range are actively promoting the increased use of wood in construction through the Wood First Initiative and the Wood First Act announced in September 2009. Revisions to the BC Building Code to allow 6 storey, wood-frame construction are also stimulating the demand for wood building materials. All of these initiatives have a direct impact on local economies. In 2006, the Province introduced its provincial housing strategy, Housing Matters BC, which includes a number of programs to create affordable housing. For example, more than 4,000 housing units have been committed under the Provincial Homelessness Initiative, creating affordable, supportive housing for the homeless and those at risk of homelessness. More than 4,200 housing units have been created under the Independent Living BC program, providing subsidized assisted living for low-income seniors. As well, in the past two years, 45 existing affordable housing buildings approximately 2,000 units have been acquired, renovated and saved from being converted to less affordable housing. However, the recently announced Seniors Rental Housing Initiative most directly demonstrates the BC Governments commitment to addressing the issues raised in this resolution. Not only will it create up to 1,000 new affordable housing units for seniors and persons with disabilities, but many of these units will be modular housing built with building materials consisting of 100 BC, MPB-affected wood. The remaining units will be part of the first 6-storey wood-framed, residential buildings to be constructed in BC.