Tri-City News, June 10, 2022 (With comments from BCNPHA Asset Management Director Ian Cullis.)
Vancity, a community credit union, is providing millions of dollars to non-profit housing providers to help some of B.C.’s most vulnerable populations cope with extreme heat.
Following B.C.’s 2021 heat wave, the BC Coroners Service released a report with recommendations for the province to protect residents against extreme heat events.
One of these recommendations is to change existing building codes so any retrofits or new buildings are safer for residents in times of extreme heat. By the summer of 2024, passive and active cooling should be included in building codes, the report states.
Working two steps ahead, Vancity has launched its Non-Profit Housing Retrofit Program to tackle this issue, effective immediately.
Part of this program is a pilot project in which Vancity will work with the BC Non-Profit Housing Association (BCNPHA), the Aboriginal Housing Management Association (AHMA) and Affine Climate Solutions, as strategic partners.