Whereas the Short-Term Rental Accommodations Act, introduced by the Province of British Columbia in October 2023, mandates local governments to regulate short-term rentals to increase the supply of long-term housing but applies arigid exemption thresholdbased solely on rental vacancy rates; And whereas smaller communities, such as Dawson Creek and Fort St. John, experiencetemporary fluctuations in vacancy rates due to major projects and economic cycles, which do not reflect a long-term housing shortage, yet remain ineligible for exemptions under the current criteria: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM urge the provincial government, specifically the Minister of Housing and Municipal Affairs, to amend the Short-Term Rental Accommodations Act to allow greater exemption flexibility for small and resource-based communities by: - Expanding exemption criteria beyond rental vacancy rates to includeeconomic conditions, municipal housing needs assessments, and local government input; and - Allowing municipalities under 25,000 population to apply for exemptions based on demonstrated local housing market conditionsrather than rigid vacancy thresholds.
