Focus on housing at UBCM Executive’s fall meeting

Housing legislation, women in leadership highlight UBCM agenda

It has been a busy fall for local governments between recovering from summer wildfire impacts, integrating new emergency management legislation, and assessing the implications of several transformative housing bills introduced by the Province. UBCM’s Executive Board met for its fall quarterly meeting to take stock of recent legislative changes and meet with Anne Kang, the Minister of Municipal Affairs.

Hear from UBCM President Trish Mandewo here on what has been the most pressing issue this fall: new housing legislation introduced by the Province.

Advocacy on encampment legislation

Discussion on housing took up a large portion of Executive and Committee meetings. Taken together, the five housing-related bills introduced by the Province this fall will fundamentally shift the way local governments plan for and manage housing. Executive members directed specific advocacy that has played out in the last two weeks.

UBCM supporting Cambodian women in local government leadership

Alongside urgent policy work, UBCM Executive continues to support long-term goals of supporting women in elected leadership, both within BC local governments and internationally. Building off UBCM’s strong legacy of female leadership, not least from the four consecutive female presidents, and the annual Convention workshop focused on bypassing barriers for women in leadership, we have partnered with a Cambodian local government organization to help increase organizational capacity and provide training for female political candidates.

UBCM November Executive Meeting Highlights

Additional grant funding for wildfire impacted communities

Eligible applicants to the 2024 FireSmart Community Funding and Supports Program with an existing FireSmart program that were directly impacted by the 2023 wildfire season may apply for up to an additional $100,000 to support incremental FireSmart activities due to increased local demand for wildfire risk reduction.

Complete Communities application deadline reminder

Complete Communities grant application deadline is January 12, 2024. Grants of up to $150,000 are available for local governments and modern Treaty First Nations to enhance their ability to make evidence-based land use planning decisions.

The program supports communities to do assessments that inform land use decision-making, considering housing need, supply, and location; providing transportation options including increased walkability; and making connections to infrastructure investment and servicing decisions. For more information, please contact UBCM at lgps@ubcm.ca.

2024 Electoral Area Directors’ Forum

Registration is now open for the 2024 Electoral Area Directors’ Forum on January 30-31 in Richmond, BC. Confirmed topics include housing updates from Parliamentary Secretary Roly Russell; emergency management legislation; and the Fire Safety Act. To