The Minister of Energy and Mines and Responsible for Housing, Rich Coleman, today appointed five members to the BC Housing Management Commission Board.

The governments of Canada and British Columbia, along with community partners, officially opened Pacific Coast Apartments today, a new 96-unit supportive housing development for people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness in Vancouver.

A new labour market partnership agreement between the Province and the BC Association of Aboriginal Friendship Centres (BCAAFC) will help address human resources challenges within Aboriginal non-profit agencies to better provide essential supports to Aboriginal people and families throughout B.C.

Five non-profit housing societies have been selected to develop new affordable housing in downtown Richmond that is being built through a partnership between the Province and the City.

As a result of federal and provincial investments, a new program, the Affordable Rental Housing initiative (ARHi), will soon be available in the Columbia Basin region for households in need. Columbia Basin Trust (CBT) has also partnered with the Province in this initiative to deliver essential affordable rental housing.

The Province has levied the first-ever administrative penalty under the Residential Tenancy Act against a Surrey landlord who failed to maintain his rental property despite a number of orders from the Residential Tenancy Branch.