Monday September 22, 2025 | VICTORIA, BC
by Mary P Brooke | Island Social Trends
A lack of provincial funding for affordable housing projects and supports for homelessness efforts by municipalities was a concern revealed in the results of survey done in January to March 2025 by the Union of BC Municipalities (UBCM).
The survey intended to identify gaps and the cost of those gaps.
The survey asked how many housing projects are on hold due to a lack of provincial action in funding, how many households are on BC housing waitlists and how long those lists are, and are incurred costs being tracked as related to increased homelessness.
Press conference at UBCM:
Victoria Mayor Marianne Alto as co-chair of the BC Urban Mayor’s Caucus (BCUMC) led a press conference on day one of the 2025 UBCM convention in Victoria today. She shared the podium with UBCM President Trish Mandewo (Coquitlam City Councillor).
The BC Urban Mayor’s Caucus is made up of 16 of the largest communities in BC representing over 60% of the population.
Projects on hold, waitlists growing:
Alto said that “unsurpringly” all of the municipalities shared that they have projects waiting, that the BC housing waitlists are far too long, and that they’re experiencing “significant increased costs associated with responding to this lack of housing and the homelessness to which it leads”.
The overall message was that the province needs to provide more funding in a way that will address gaps that lead to homelessness.
In a way, none of this is new information. But the urban mayors felt that some data might help the province make some needed funding decisions.
Six mayors also attended the media session:
- George Harvie, Delta
- Patrick Johnstone, New Westminster.
- Mike Klassen, Councillor, City of Vancouver
- Dan Ruimy, Maple Ridge
- Richard Stewart, Coquitlam
- Simon Yu, Prince George
Homelessness costs are not new:
Mayor Alto has been sounding the alarm about the cost of homelessness for several years now. She has also often expressed that the cost and service delivery burden of homelessness needs be shared among municipalities, though she did not lean on that point today.
“We are sharing this information today to make it clear that the Province needs to do more,” said Mandewo.
The BCUMC and UBCM are calling on the Province to accelerate project delivery through steamlined processes renewed project funding and dedicated support teams while urging the Government to provide bridge supports to local governments and partner social support agencies to address sheltering, encampments, sanitation and services for people experiencing homelessness.
Nearly half of the 14 municipalities as survey respondents have housing projects in their municipalities on hold due to lack of provincial funding, it was stated today. There are 161 municipalities in BC (including rural).
All respondents indicated significant costs — reportedly millions of dollars — due to rising homelessness.
Housing waitlists:
About 21,000 households are on BC Housing’s social housing waitlist across 14 urban municipalities. More than 3,000 homes are on hold in various states of completion because they’re waiting on provincial funding.
Over the previous five years (2020-2024) the eight caucus members that are part of the Metro Vancouver regional district saw a 64% growth in their housing waitlists.
Costs to communities:
There are costs to staff and residents in not dealing with homelessness, said Alto today. This summer, the City of Victoria decided to forego other already-approved projects in order to shift funds to dealing with the impacts of homelessness.
Recreation, parks, transportation, public works, arts and culture and all of the other amenities are impacted — things that Alto says make their cities and communities livable. Deferring and diminishing programs and plans has a “significant negative effect on what we’re able to do in our communities. We have been doing that, and we’re asking the provincial government to do the same,” said Alto today.
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