OAK BAY – New Democrat MLAs Murray Rankin and Lana Popham say local governments are receiving funding that will help them implement new provincial legislation to build more homes for people faster.
“Creating more housing in our community is going to need leaders at every level to work together,” said Murray Rankin, MLA for Oak Bay-Gordon Head. “This tangible support will help our municipal leaders and their teams to do the work needed to reach our shared goals and serve our community.”
In the region, the following local governments are receiving funding:
- Capital Regional District, $252,492
- Oak Bay, $235,425
- Saanich, $712,442
“This community is a great place to live, and as more people join our community, we want them to find the housing and services they need,” said Lana Popham, MLA for Saanich South. “Funding for the region will help the community keep up with need and feel supported while they do the work to make this happen.”
In response to the new provincial housing legislation passed in 2023, the New Democratic government is providing $51 million to 188 local governments to help them meet the new requirements.
This money will be used to improve planning, development and reporting processes, hire new staff and consultants and help governing bodies become more efficient at approving housing. Smaller communities will especially benefit from this funding as they have fewer resources to make changes.
This funding is part of a historic $19 billion housing investment by the provincial government. Since 2017, more than 77,000 homes have been delivered or are underway across B.C.
Learn More: https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2024HOUS0006-000051