More shelter for the homeless, support and resources to go with it, and a provincial target of shelter services for each municipality to provide are among the suggestions the mayor of Victoria has for the newly minted provincial cabinet.
Marianne Alto, during a mid-term address this week designed to highlight what council has accomplished in its first two years of a four-year mandate, rolled out a long wish list for ministers taking on new responsibilities.
No surprise, given council’s focus on housing, most of her suggestions were for Housing Minister Ravi Kahlon, who returns to his old portfolio but takes on the added responsibility of Municipal Affairs.
Among the “priorities” suggested for the minister, Alto floated the idea of setting targets, as the province did for housing, for each municipality to create shelter and support services for its most vulnerable residents.
“My council has urged other communities in the CRD to create services and shelter for their own people. But minister, if you and your colleagues set targets for social and health services and shelter spaces for every municipality, just like you provided housing targets, then every municipality would hear the message that there are people in need everywhere and all of us can and should do something to respond,” she said. “Of course, provincial resources to help create and support those services would be welcome, too.”
The lack of supportive housing in the region has become a sore spot for the City of Victoria, which points out it provides 80 per cent of the region’s shelter spaces whenever it gets the chance.
“We do so understanding that the need is great, but with increasing frustration that while we and Victoria taxpayers pay for and fill the bulk of that need, our neighbours are content to let us do so for their own vulnerable people, too,” she said.
Alto also asked that Kahlon direct B.C. Housing to build enough temporary shelters to relieve local government of the burden and take unhoused folk off the street while permanent housing is being finished.
She also suggested the ministry should provide enough support and resources to ensure shelters and their neighbours can co-exist peacefully.
For new Health Minster Josie Osborne, Alto suggested a close working relationship with Kahlon on providing new shelters with supportive health and mental health services.
“And while you’re at it, create enough programs from harm reduction to recovery, prevention and treatment to give folks choices in how they need to deal with addictions and mental health realities,” she said.
While laying out her hopes and dreams, Alto said the new provincial government has already signalled new directions that give her reason for optimism.
She said bringing together housing and municipal affairs in one ministry recognizes the province relies heavily on local governments to execute provincial housing policies and that collaboration is the best way to improve B.C. Housing.
She also said bringing mental health and addictions under the health umbrella signals the government understands the issues can’t be separated.
Alto sent out a signal of her own this week by including in her 20-minute address the sobering thought that tough decisions are coming for the city as it faces a difficult budgeting process.
The first draft of the city’s 2025 budget anticipated a 12.17 per cent property tax increase.
Alto noted city staff have been directed to consider the impact to city services and operations — not including police services — if property tax increases were capped in 2025 and 2026 at between four and seven per cent.
“Council began this term with bold ambition and we have acted on that ambition. But in these times, ambition must be balanced with a recognition of the current economic context, its impact on residents, businesses, workers, visitors, developers, everyone who invest their time, resources and lives in our city,” she said.
