Whereas Bills 44 and 47 mandated increased housing density across the province, requiring local governments to expand infrastructure to support the new housing and ensure complete communities; And whereas an infrastructure deficit already exists with risks of failure that could impact health and safety, and threaten growth of the provincial economy; And whereas local governments do not have financial tools linked to population and economic growth that could fund the capital renewal, expansion, and ongoing maintenance that will be required; And whereas local governments are increasingly taking on tasks that have historically been the responsibility of the provincial and federal government including providing lands and other financial supports for non-market and supportive housing, while also bearing costs related to medical emergency response, and managing encampments for growing numbers of unhoused British Columbians: Therefore be it resolved that the Province invest in a long-term, predictable allocation-based funding program to support expansion and operation of local government infrastructure services to support provincially-mandated housing growth including, but not limited to, water and sewer, transit, police and fire, and recreation; And further that the Province invest in its own areas of responsibility where there are already service deficits that will be further affected by housing-related population growth, namely health care family doctors, ambulances, hospitals, etc. and education classrooms, teachers, etc..
Ministry of Housing and Municipal Affairs The Province remains committed to working with communities to address funding needs, considering the diverse spectrum of costs and revenue tools. The Union of British Columbia Municipalities UBCM members endorsed a UBCM report entitled Ensuring Local Government Financial Resiliency Todays Recovery and Tomorrows New Economy, aimed at strengthening the municipal and regional district finance system in BC. This report includes 20 recommendations to address the fiscal concerns of local government, including seeking new revenue sources. In January 2022, the Province signed a Memorandum of Understanding MOU with UBCM to guide the review of local government financial resiliency. A joint working group meets biweekly to address the recommendations and explore ways to strengthen local government fiscal health and cost pressures around attainable housing, community safety, and climate change. The Province recognizes that new housing supply creates demand for new and expanded infrastructure, amenities, and services, such as sewers, transportation network improvements, community centres, and daycares. In 2023, the Local Government Act and Vancouver Charter were amended to provide new and updated development finance tools that local governments can use to help fund the costs of infrastructure and amenities to support complete and livable communities. Changes to legislation included updating the scope of infrastructure eligible to be funded through Development Cost Charges DCC to include fire protection facilities, police facilities, solid waste facilities, and a new development finance tool called Amenity Cost Charges ACCs that allows local governments to collect funds from new developments that increase the number of residents or workers to help pay for amenities like community centres, recreation centres, daycares, and libraries to support this community growth. DCC and ACC Best Practices Guides are available to support local governments as they develop and implement new bylaws. Additional legislative changes, introduced in the Spring of 2024, created new site-level infrastructure authorities. This includes expanded works and services powers that enable local governments to require a broader range of infrastructure such as roads, water, sewer, drainage, street furniture, parklets, and sustainable design features at the building permit stage. It also expanded road dedication authority to secure space for wider sidewalks, street trees, and traffic calming measures. Ministry of Infrastructure The Province has been taking action to deliver these critical infrastructure projects as quickly as possible. These efforts are starting to produce results with hundreds of projects completed and underway, including 30 hospital projects, 11 long-term care centres, four cancer centres, and one new medical school; 226 new, expanded and seismically upgraded schools for more than 80,000 students; and over 10,700 new student housing beds at post-secondary campuses across BC. Over the last eight years, the Province has embarked on the largest, most ambitious capital plan in BC history to build the schools, hospitals, and other infrastructure that growing communities need. Budget 2025 invests over 25 billion dollars over the next three years to develop and maintain the schools, health-care facilities, and other critical infrastructure people need to build good lives in BC.