Premier John Horgan has appointed Ravi Kahlon, Parliamentary Secretary for Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development, to lead the expansion and use of mass timber in B.C. buildings.

Two new supportive housing buildings will provide more than 100 rooms in Surrey, providing homes for people experiencing or at risk of homelessness.

Shane Simpson, Minister of Social Development and Poverty Reduction, has issued the following statement regarding tent encampments in Victoria and Vancouver:

People in Metro Vancouver can rest assured that they will be able to get back to work as the Province of B.C. and TransLink announced their commitment to ensure transit service is available as British Columbians safely restart the province and its economy in the coming weeks and months.

The Province is providing enhanced relief for businesses by reducing most commercial property tax bills by an average of 25%, along with new measures to support local governments facing temporary revenue shortfalls as a result of COVID-19.

The B.C. government reassures renters they will not be evicted if they cannot pay rent during the state of emergency related to novel coronavirus (COVID-19). As announced on March 25, 2020, the Province has halted evictions during the COVID-19 crisis.

A new Interim Business Property Tax Relief program will allow local governments to provide immediate property tax relief for the 2020 tax year.

Starting May 2020, eligible British Columbians can apply online to defer their property taxes.