VICTORIA, B.C - With the BC NDP government set to download more responsibility and costs on our communities the B.C. Green Caucus is calling on the province to pledge its support to local governments for the next three years.
“I acknowledge the phenomenal pressure the provincial and federal governments are applying on our local government colleagues to build more housing supply,” said Adam Olsen, MLA for Saanich North and the Islands. “The provincial and federal governments have known of the growing infrastructure deficit for more than a decade and failed to deliver a fiscal framework for local governments to address the problem.
“It’s not just NIMBYism that is an obstacle, it's the aging and insufficient infrastructure. The UBCM has been calling on the provincial government to fix the systemic problem for years, but successive governments have been unwilling.
“When Mayors and Councillors are considering how to accommodate the development goals of the provincial and federal governments, it’s important for those governments to ensure they have the resources to support that growth.
“They demonstrated this Spring, through the Building Communities Fund, that they have the capacity to think outside the box. That’s why I am calling on the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Minister of Finance to make a multi-year commitment in Budget 2024 to extend and expand the Building Communities Fund model while a new agreement is being negotiated.
“The province has yet to demonstrate that it is coordinating across Ministries to provide our local elected colleagues the funds they need for municipal infrastructure such as roads, water, and sewer.
“What's even more worrying is that the province hasn't shown it's scaling up healthcare, education, and transportation for the growing population. A responsible government should have plans and programs in place for growing communities - that is what a comprehensive housing plan would look like.”
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Media contact
JoJo Beattie
Press Secretary
B.C. Green Caucus
+1 250-882-6187 | [email protected]