Whereas effective and sustainable housing policies require advance consultation with local governments, Indigenous organizations, non-profit providers, private sector experts, and academic institutions to ensure workable, coordinated solutions, and recent provincial housing legislation has often been developed without sufficient input from sector stakeholders, leading to unintended consequences, implementation challenges for local governments, and impacts on housing supply and affordability; And whereas a Permanent Provincial Housing Policy Roundtable, modeled on advisory bodies such as the Energy Step Code Council, would strengthen collaboration, improve the development and implementation of housing policy, and ensure ongoing engagement with key stakeholders: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM advocate for the Government of British Columbia to establish a Permanent Provincial Housing Policy Roundtable with representation from local governments, Indigenous housing organizations, non-profit and private housing sectors, academic experts, and both provincial and federal housing ministries, to strengthen housing policy development, monitor impacts, and support coordinated solutions to British Columbias housing challenges.
Ministry of Housing and Municipal Affairs The Province appreciates the recommendation to establish a permanent provincial housing policy roundtable to advise government on housing policy issues. However, government is not prepared to establish a standing advisory roundtable at this time. The Province regularly engages with stakeholders throughout the legislative and policy development process, and will continue to do so, to ensure diverse stakeholders, housing needs, and contexts are considered. Housing legislation and regulations in British Columbia are complex and span multiple statutes and policy areas, across different branches of government. Consultation on specific initiatives in any given area requires the flexibility to convene appropriate, relevant stakeholders and subject matter experts which can vary widely across policy areas as well as across the province. The Province will continue to aim to strengthen our relationship with stakeholders to and maintain an open dialogue with housing sector partners and prioritize meaningful consultation as policies evolve, ensuring a breadth of perspectives from those most directly affected by changes.