Ravi Kahlon, Minister of Housing, has appointed four new members to the BC Housing board of commissioners to help provide more housing options for people in British Columbia.

“We must continue to add strong and diverse new voices to the housing conversation so that we can identify new and innovative solutions to address the housing crisis,” Kahlon said. “These four individuals are community leaders who have been chosen based on their experience and track record delivering important services to their communities and the people who live in them. I look forward to working with them and sharing insights to deliver more homes for people.”

Robert Brown, X’staam Hana'ax, Jackee Kasandy and Uytae Lee will join the board, which oversees policy implementation and provides strategic guidance to BC Housing to help deliver on government’s plan to create more sustainable, affordable housing for now and over the long term. The new board members join current board chair Allan Seckel and members Russ Jones, Jill Kot, Mark Sieben, Sheila Taylor and Clifford White.

“BC Housing has experienced substantial change in the last year, and there will be even more ahead as we continue to strengthen organizational structure and capacity, financial systems, governance practices, and processes and policies,” said Allan Seckel, chair, BC Housing board of commissioners. “Having these new members join the board will bring perspectives from communities, helping ensure we are successful in delivering on the Province’s ambitious housing plans at this crucial time.”

Robert Brown has worked in real estate for more than 43 years. He has experience developing residential properties in Metro Vancouver and resort and hospitality development in Tofino. In 2013, he founded Catalyst Community Developments Society. Under Brown’s leadership, Catalyst developed more than 1,000 below-market rental homes.

X’staam Hana'ax, Nicole Halbauer is a member of the Tsimshian Nation, Ganhada (Raven) Clan, of Kitsumkalum. She most recently worked as interim director at the Terrace Women’s Resource Centre and previously as interim director for the Pacific Northwest Division of Family Practice.

Jackee Kasandy has more than 10 years of corporate experience, most recently with BC Lottery Corporation and BC Ferries, where she helped launch their marketing division. She founded the Black Entrepreneurs and Businesses of Canada Society in 2020, which supports Black-owned and person-of-colour entrepreneurs and business owners in Canada.

Uytae Lee has been producing videos for 10 years about issues facing cities today. He is the founder of Stories About Here, a creative studio and YouTube channel dedicated to helping people understand their cities better. He regularly works with the CBC and works with municipalities, non-profit groups, and other organizations to educate the public on important urban issues.

The addition of these board members will support the expansion and improve oversight, strategic planning and other strategic decisions required for BC Housing, one of North America’s largest housing developers.

Learn More:

To learn about the Province’s new Homes for People action plan, visit: https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2023HOUS0019-000436

To see a map of provincially funded housing projects in B.C., visit: https://www.bchousing.org/homes-for-BC

To learn about the steps the Province is taking to tackle the housing crisis and deliver affordable homes for British Columbians, visit: https://strongerbc.gov.bc.ca/housing/