On January 16, the B.C. government released its ministerial mandate letters for the new cabinet. These letters outline the priorities set for each minister to ensure coordination across ministries in tackling the main challenges identified by the government.
Housing was one of the key issues in the 2024 provincial election and this is reflected in the mandate letters. This was also reinforced in the agreement between the BC NDP and Green Party of BC, signed December 12, 2024, in which housing played a key role. Leveraging land and other assets to support the construction of housing is a key strategy for several ministers in this new government.
Minister Ravi Kahlon’s mandate letter for the Ministry of Housing and Municipal Affairs includes the following:
•Increasing the supply of rental, co-op and non-market housing by: Identifying under-used capital that can be leveraged to construct new purpose-built rental housing; Collaborating with the Minister of Citizens’ Services to identify surplus government real estate assets to support housing and economic development goals.
•Supporting tenants with interventions that deliver affordability and a high quality of living without compromising rental housing supply or rental housing standards, as well as supporting small-scale landlords in dealing with non-payment of rent, crime and property destruction.
•Collaborating with other ministries to expedite permits for housing construction and to reduce barriers to the construction of small-scale multi-unit housing.
•Collaborating with different levels of government to implement dignified, prompt, and effective interventions to move people living in encampments inside before these can become entrenched.
•Enhancing the delivery of supportive and complex care housing in a manner that keeps residents safe.
The new mandate is a clear continuation of the previous mandate, with more intentional references to the private market and home ownership. Indigenous housing and non-profit housing are not specifically referenced in the mandate letter and we will continue our strong advocacy to ensure that investments into community owned housing will continue, ensuring the agreement with the Green Party of BC for 30,000 non-profit and co-op homes over the mandate is upheld. Enhancing the delivery of supportive housing is welcome news provided there is a collaborative approach with supportive housing providers and budgets are in place to ensure appropriate staffing levels.
We were pleased to see that both the Ministry of Infrastructure and the Ministry of Finance are expected to play a significant role by increasing efficiency and reducing red tape for housing construction, as well as reducing barriers for investments in housing. Some key tasks for these ministries are:
•Ensure faster delivery of cost-effective, high-quality generational investments.
•Identify and implement opportunities to reduce costs for taxpayers and expedite approval and construction of projects, including standardization of infrastructure.
•Work with the Ministry of Housing and Municipal Affairs to: Support the construction of new purpose-built rental housing by exploring new models for capitalizing the construction of purpose-built rental buildings; Remove barriers to financing small scale multi-unit density; and Eliminate taxes that could prevent or impair the transfer of land for the purpose of developing affordable housing.
•Ensure targets on delivery of transitional housing for women fleeing violence are met.
We are encouraged to see that delivery of transitional housing targets are in the finance minister’s mandate letter, and would have liked to see the same reference for community housing more broadly. We will be seeking more information on new models of capitalizing the construction of purpose built rental and the applicability to our sector.
We will seek to work closely with the Ministry of Finance on property transfer tax exemptions.
Another positive highlight was the explicit inclusion of housing solutions within Minister of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation tasks, including:
•Build partnerships that advance reconciliation in measurable ways for First Nations and British Columbians such as building more affordable housing, protecting the environment, and others.
•Cooperate with the Minister of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship to continue to accelerate agreed-upon land transfers that enhance First Nation community and economic development.
Some additional housing-related tasks among the mandate letters include:
Ministry of Transportation and Transit:
•Work with the Minister of Housing and Municipal Affairs to identify and champion transit-oriented development sites with local governments, stakeholders, and the private sector to maximize success of this initiative.
•Bring together addiction health professionals and epidemiologists to expand peer-reviewed research to evaluate interventions for people struggling with addiction, and promptly implement best practices based on findings.
Ministry of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness:
•Develop provincial and regional hazard risk assessments, including modernized tools for access, to improve transparency, awareness, and informed planning and preparedness for communities to enhance resilience.
BC has been leading the country in finding solutions to the housing crisis, and while progress has been made, BCNPHA will continue its commitment to working with government and other stakeholders to ensure everyone in BC has access to a safe, secure and affordable home.