(flickr.com)

Media Contacts

Melanie Kilpatrick

Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing
778 698-9176

Laura Matthews

BC Housing
604 439-8571

Jo Whittier

Ministry of Finance - Gender Equity
250 893-5650

Backgrounders

Approved housing projects for women, children leaving violence

Lower Mainland:

  • Abbotsford – SARA Society for Women will operate up to 12 units of second-stage housing. 
  • Vancouver – The Kettle Friendship Society will operate up to 10 units of second-stage housing for women.
  • Vancouver – Atira Women’s Resource Society will operate up to 10 beds of transition housing for older women.
  • Vancouver - Atira Women’s Resource Society will operate up to 28 units of second-stage and long-term housing.
  • Sechelt – Sunshine Coast Community Services will operate up to 30 units of long-term housing for women.

Interior:

  • West Kelowna – Kelowna Women’s Shelter will operate approximately 26 transition beds and 30 units of second-stage housing.
  • Clearwater – Yellowhead Community Services Society will operate one safe home and one unit of second-stage housing.

North:

  • Terrace – Ksan Housing Society will operate approximately 22 units of second-stage housing for women.
  • Valemount – Robson Valley Community Services will operate up to 14 units of affordable rental housing for women and children.

Vancouver Island:

  • Duncan – Cowichan Women Against Violence will operate approximately 30 second-stage housing units.
  • Campbell River – Campbell River & North Island Transition Society will operate approximately 49 units of second-stage and long-term housing.
Province building new homes to meet full spectrum of housing needs

The B.C. government is working in partnership to build 114,000 affordable homes that cover the full spectrum of housing needs for British Columbians by 2028.

Budget 2018 included a $7-billion investment in the homes people need. As a result of that investment, more than 22,000 new homes are completed, under construction or in the approvals process for a range of people who are struggling to find a place to live, from people who are experiencing homelessness and seniors on fixed incomes, to middle-income families, students and individuals. As of Aug. 31, 2019, this included:

Housing for middle-income earners (households with annual incomes between $50,000 and $150,000) – approximately 4,120 homes:

  • Building BC: Community Housing Fund: approximately 1,500 rental homes for people with middle incomes.
  • HousingHub: approximately 2,620 homes.

Housing for people with low to moderate incomes (including some where rents are based on 30% of household income and others with set rents, which are designed to be affordable; to moderate-income households, in most cases earning less than $70,000 annually) – approximately 9,320 homes:

  • Building BC: Community Housing Fund: approximately 3,700 rental homes for people with low to moderate incomes.
  • Affordable Rental Housing Program: nearly 1,600 homes for low to moderate incomes.
  • Deepening Affordability Fund: more than 2,150 homes for low to moderate incomes.
  • Building BC: Indigenous Housing Fund: approximately 1,170 homes for Indigenous peoples, on- and off-reserve.

Housing for people experiencing or at risk of homelessness (shelter-rate housing) – approximately 3,060 homes:

  • Rapid Response to Homelessness: 2,064 homes with 24/7 support.
  • Building BC: Supportive Housing Fund: approximately 800 homes with 24/7 support.
  • Regional Housing First Program: approximately 200 homes for those ready to live independently with supports.

Housing for women and children leaving violence – approximately 360 homes:

  • Building BC: Women’s Transition Housing Fund: approximately 360 spaces of transition, second-stage and affordable rental housing for women and children leaving violence.

Housing for students – approximately 5,600 homes:

  • BC Student Housing Loan Program: approximately 2,700 on-campus student housing units are underway or in the approvals process.
  • Nearly 2,900 student housing units are also underway or in development through partnerships with post-secondary institutions.

Total: approximately 22,460 homes