The Government of British Columbia Can't Stop Screwing Poor People Over

I comment on the Government of British Columbia's recent decision to suspend its affordable-housing fund, and how its budget--like all budgets--reflect its choices and priorities.

Sources:

https://vicnews.com/2026/02/18/b-c-quietly-suspends-major-affordable-housing-fund-leaving-proponents-holding-the-bag/

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/affordable-rental-scrap-projects-housing-fund-b-c-9.7096640

https://globalnews.ca/video/11020608/b-c-premier-talks-tariffs-and-cancelling-grocery-rebate

https://www.biv.com/news/commentary/rob-shaw-eby-leaves-bc-families-famished-for-relief-as-trade-war-looms-10091167

https://www.facebook.com/ElizabethMaySGI

The words I use in the recording may not match the words in the transcript.

Transcript

The Government of British Columbia Can't Stop Screwing Poor People Over


A couple of weeks ago, I read an article online that declared that the Government of British Columbia has decided to suspend an affordable-housing fund, without a word about it in the recent budget.

Sigh--first it was a proposed grocery rebate in 2025, now it's an affordable-housing fund. 

The February 18, 2026 vicnews.com article, 'B.C. quietly suspends major affordable housing fund, leaving proponents holding the bag,' declares: 'Without even as much as a mention in the most recent budget, B.C. is suspending the multi-billion-dollar Community Housing Fund that was a key part of its strategy to crawl out of the housing crisis.  The sudden decision has left many local governments and those in the non-profit housing sector exasperated and confused.  And project proponents could be on the hook for massive amounts in sunk costs.' Squamish Councillor Jenna Stoner stated, "I'm particularly frustrated in the way this has been communicated and handled,' stating she and the citizens of Squamish and a local housing non-profit heard "nothing but crickets" until the budget was announced.' The Union of B.C. Municipalities President Cori Ramsay says that the budget does not even include a line item explaining the change. She only found out about the change after inquiring about what it meant when the government said it was “reallocating” $1.4 billion that was supposed to be spent on housing projects. “The budget was not very transparent about the indefinite closure of the housing fund,” she said.  Like others, Ramsay says this will jeopardize municipalities’ ability to meet housing targets. She wants the province to adjust accordingly, declaring that, “If the province is giving itself flexibility in its goals, local government is expecting that same flexibility.” The fact that this decision was quiet and sudden tells me that the Government of British Columbia wants to sweep this situation under the rug, and doesn't want to take responsibility for it.

But the decision has drawn criticism for more than the way it was communicated.

Jill Atkey, CEO of the BC Non-Profit Housing Association, stated, 'the ripple effects of this decision will be felt for years, by both the sector trying to finance these projects and the people seeking an affordable place to live'; in the cbc.ca/news article, ''Catastrophic' decision to scrap affordable rental program leaves projects in limbo,' she said, '"The rug [is] being pulled out from under the sector, particularly on projects that were put forward in good faith with significant costs incurred by the non-profit sector in order to make those projects work...We're unsure of what the future looks like for affordable housing provision. The impacts of this will be felt for years."' Ramsay pointed out in that same article that 'on one hand the government is forcing municipalities to meet provincially-mandated housing targets, while taking away a key source of funding for below market rentals.' Thom Armstrong, CEO of the Co-operative Housing Federation of B.C., weighed in with, 'The impact on affordable housing is "catastrophic."' Elizabeth May, MP for Saanich-Gulf Islands and leader of the Green Party of Canada, uploaded a video on her Facebook page of her asking about the Government of British Columbia suspending the affordable-housing program. The fact that municipalities are expected to meet the current housing targets mandated by the province without the funding that was once allocated for new affordable-housing projects speaks to how tone-deaf and out of touch with reality the Government of British Columbia is.

The vicnews.com article states that, 'The $3.3 billion fund was introduced in 2018 to help pay for more than 20,000 affordable rental units. It has become something local governments rely on to meet provincial housing targets, which were introduced in 2023 to ensure municipalities are working to tackle the housing crisis. The program has paid for 13,600 homes so far.  The fund’s latest intake opening, announced last May, opened up $775 million for project proposals.  Budget 2026, released on Tuesday, Feb. 17, retracts this money, leaving those who applied scrambling for answers.  The housing ministry says the program is not being “cancelled,” though it has decided not to proceed with any of the new applications and has announced no plans to accept more.' The cbc.ca/news article quotes B.C.'s Minister of Finance Brenda Bailey's statement that delivered what she called a "tough budget" that included "belt tightening" across various sectors, while still producing a record $13.3-billion deficit' and Minister of Housing and Municipal Affairs Christine Boyle, who claims she "understands the frustration" housing advocates are feeling, has said a number of projects looking for funding under the Community Housing Fund are now on hold but the province will work with non-profits "to see what different paths forward exist on a project by project basis," while declaring the housing targets for municipalities remain in place. Boyle has a history of advocating for marginalized communities and addressing issues such as affordable housing, even during her time as a city councillor in Vancouver, but that she would tout the provincial government's party line on the affordable-housing fund...should I, or anyone else, be surprised?

Now would be a good time to point out that every budget is a choice, and reveals the priorities of those who make them. Even now, when the vast majority of British Columbians are already struggling to survive, the Government of British Columbia has made yet another decision to make our lives that much more difficult--while catering to those who already have the means to help themselves.

It seems to me that, if it benefits poor people, the Government of British Columbia--well, any and all government bodies--will look for ways, and excuses, to not honour their commitments to those particular policies and projects. With the proposed grocery rebate, the excuse for not following through with that was tariffs established by U.S. President Donald Trump; no word on why the affordable-housing fund was suspended--all the provincial government will say on that is that the funds were 'reallocated,' but won't say where the funds were reallocated to. Even though British Columbia is governed by the New Democratic Party, it seems the provincial government under David Eby--who was once a civil-rights lawyer--is just as friendly to millionaires and billionaires and condescending to the poor as the Liberals and Conservatives ever were.

In any case, like so many other governments at any level, the Provincial Government of British Columbia can't seem to stop screwing poor people over.

Sources:

https://vicnews.com/2026/02/18/b-c-quietly-suspends-major-affordable-housing-fund-leaving-proponents-holding-the-bag/

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/affordable-rental-scrap-projects-housing-fund-b-c-9.7096640

https://globalnews.ca/video/11020608/b-c-premier-talks-tariffs-and-cancelling-grocery-rebate

https://www.biv.com/news/commentary/rob-shaw-eby-leaves-bc-families-famished-for-relief-as-trade-war-looms-10091167

https://www.facebook.com/ElizabethMaySGI