Saanich Joins B.C. Municipalities in Push to Revive Community Housing Fund
Source: Saanich News/ Vic News, Sep 21, 2026
Saanich councillors are urging the provincial government to bring back the Community Housing Fund, after the Union of B.C. Municipalities passed a special resolution on the issue at its 2026 convention. The resolution, which combined submissions from Saanich, Victoria, Vancouver and other communities, asks the province to reopen the fund, help housing projects that have stalled or been cancelled, and commit to stable, predictable funding for affordable and non-market housing.
Launched in 2018 and managed by BC Housing, the $3.3-billion fund was meant to support more than 20,000 affordable rentals for low- and moderate-income households. After Budget 2026, the province cancelled the current intake and put future ones on hold indefinitely. Locally, the pause affects the Garth Homer Society's Centre for Belonging in Nigel Valley, a planned 90-home project that includes units for people with developmental disabilities and low-income residents.
Councillors Teale Phelps Bondaroff and Zac de Vries say municipalities can do their part through zoning, faster approvals and land, but deeply affordable housing depends on provincial investment and funding certainty for housing providers.
Source: Saanich News/Vic News
