Provincial Home Owner Grant Program

Whereas homeowners outside of the Capital, Metro and Fraser Valley regions have been receiving an additional 200 annual Northern and Rural benefit over and above the basic 570 Home Owner Grant since 2011; And whereas the funding for this additional benefit is provided from the provincial carbon tax, estimated at a cost of 83 million for 201617; And whereas the provincial policy of ensuring that 95 per cent of the eligible homes in the province receive a Home Owner Grant, has now been abandoned, and only 92 per cent will receive a grant in 2016; An whereas the unfair thresholds for loss of the Home Owner Grant will leave Burnaby with only 78 per cent of eligible homes receiving the Home Owner Grant: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM petition the Minister of Finance to undertake a provincial review of the Home Owner Grant Program to determine if a more equitable distribution of the grant across all regions of the province can be achieved.