VANCOUVER– BC NDP MLA Amshen (Joan Phillip) and Sunita Dhir say new provincial funding for a local project means Vancouver will be better able to withstand and adapt to natural hazards and climate-caused disasters.

“Many older homes in Vancouver were not built to withstand the extreme heat events we are now experiencing,” says Amshen (Joan Phillip), MLA for Vancouver-Strathcona. “That’s why we are supporting the City to take crucial steps to reduce the risk of extreme heat for people in our community.”

The City of Vancouver is receiving $215,000 for reducing extreme heat risk in multi-family buildings. This project forms the foundation for increasing city resilience through municipal actions, policies or programs to reduce the risk of extreme heat in homes across Vancouver.

Across B.C., 46 communities are receiving approximately $21 million for local projects. The projects will help reduce the impact of future climate disasters by addressing current vulnerabilities and by supporting informed planning and decision making.

“When facing extreme heat, urban neighbourhoods have unique needs,” says Sunita Dhir, MLA for Vancouver-Langara. “That’s why our government is providing funding to help the City of Vancouver take action to keep multi-family buildings safer for people during heat emergencies.”

The new Disaster Resilience and Innovation Funding (DRIF) program provides support to First Nations and local governments for projects that will enhance their ability to withstand and adapt to natural hazards and climate-caused disasters.

Since 2017, provincial funding programs have provided more than $540 million for about 2,660 disaster preparedness and mitigation projects.

Learn More: https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2025EMCR0019-000438