Municipalities press B.C. to restore Community Housing Fund, citing stalled affordable projects
At the UBCM convention in Vancouver on Wednesday, councillors from multiple cities passed a resolution urging the province to reinstate the fund it indefinitely paused in the 2026 budget.
The day's top stories, food & events — every morning at 7. Unsubscribe anytime.
Municipalities across B.C. are urging the province to restore the Community Housing Fund, which was indefinitely paused in the 2026 budget, citing cancelled and stalled affordable housing projects across the province.
The resolution, which received majority support from mayors and councillors at the UBCM convention in Vancouver on Wednesday, will be brought forward to the province. "UBCM urges the province to reinstate the Community Housing Fund, providing funding to support cancelled or stalled projects, and predictable, ongoing capital funding to support the delivery of non-market and affordable housing," said Jenna Stoner, UBCM vice-president and a councillor for the District of Squamish.
The Community Housing Fund, launched in 2018 as part of B.C.'s housing plan, was designed to support construction of new rental housing affordable to low- and moderate-income households. Since its suspension, several affordable housing projects have paused or been cancelled, with some seeking financing from other sources or shifting toward market rental models instead.
Sean Orr, a Vancouver councillor who submitted the motion, said the pullback is worsening the crisis. "We desperately need a massive outbuild of affordable homes, non-market homes, co-ops in B.C.," Orr said. "For the province to stall that means we're just exacerbating the housing crisis."
Susan Kim, a Victoria councillor, raised a specific concern: projects for transitional homes serving women fleeing violence were cancelled as a result of the fund suspension. "To pull the Community Housing Fund is actually a threat to public health writ large," Kim said, describing the situation as "like asking a carpenter to build you a bookshelf and then they take away half the wood."
The facts
When did the UBCM convention take place?
The UBCM convention took place in Vancouver on Wednesday, September 16, 2026.
What did municipalities urge the province to do at the convention?
Municipalities urged the province to reinstate the Community Housing Fund, which was indefinitely paused in the 2026 budget, and to provide predictable, ongoing capital funding for non-market and affordable housing.
When was the Community Housing Fund originally launched?
The Community Housing Fund was launched in 2018 as part of B.C.'s housing plan to support construction of new rental housing affordable to low- and moderate-income households.
What type of projects were cancelled due to the fund's suspension?
Projects for transitional homes serving women fleeing violence were among those cancelled as a result of the Community Housing Fund suspension.
