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The Housing Policy Branch is responsible for developing provincial housing policy, strategies and programs and for providing policy advice on specific issues such as the residential construction industry, leaky condos, housing markets, social housing, homelessness, housing for persons with special needs, and the role of local government in housing. The branch also publishes research and guides on housing issues.
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The Office of Housing and Construction Standards, in collaboration with First Nations and Aboriginal partners, other provincial ministries and federal departments, is leading the development of a ten-year off-reserve Aboriginal Housing Action Plan. The action plan will address the entire housing continuum as well as capacity within Aboriginal communities and partner organizations in all aspects of housing off-reserve.
As follow-up to the research contained in Aboriginal Housing in British Columbia: Needs and Capacity Assessment this discussion paper, Developing an Off-reserve Aboriginal Housing Action Plan For British Columbia , will support a series of regional engagements held throughout the Province during February and early March 2008. Comments received during the engagement process will then be reflected in the development of the off-reserve Aboriginal Housing Action Plan.
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In October 2006, the Office of Housing and Construction Standards (OHCS) commissioned a province-wide assessment of Aboriginal housing. The report, Aboriginal Housing in BC, A Needs and Capacity Assessment, was completed Spring 2007 and will be used to inform the development of a ten-year off-reserve Aboriginal Housing Action Plan aimed at closing the housing gap between Aboriginal people and other British Columbians.
The information in the report comes from a review of existing Aboriginal housing literature, a statistical review of Aboriginal demographics in British Columbia and Canada and interviews with 85 Aboriginal communities and organizations.
The report provides:
- an assessment of current and projected Aboriginal housing need on and off-reserve;
- an assessment of current capacity within Aboriginal organizations and communities as it relates to housing (development, construction, management) on and off-reserve; and
- an assessment of existing barriers to closing the housing gap both on and off-reserve.
Many local governments have developed policies and procedures that achieve superior results in dealing with the development of special needs housing and not-in-my-backyard (NIMBY). The experiences of five communities have been documented in case studies that may assist other local governments that are working to address homelessness and special housing needs. The following case studies examine the development of special needs housing facilities in Kamloops, Victoria, Nanaimo, Prince George, and Red Deer, Alberta.
This May 2006 report, a result of a partnership between the Ministry of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources, the Office of Housing and Construction Standards (Housing Policy Branch) and BC Housing to explore the issues related to housing in Northeast British Columbia, has been presented to the northeast British Columbia local governments for their decision regarding priorities and the ways and means to address them.
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