| Summary: | The changes in housing policy during the 1990s has been profound. With federal funds for
non-market housing no longer available, the Province of British Columbia has attempted to
involve municipalities to a greater extent in meeting the housing needs in their communities.
However, this has proved to be an immense challenge for many municipalities. Nevertheless,
many have reported that they use, or in the future will use, partnerships with other
organizations to obtain more affordable housing in their communities. Specifically,
partnering with non-profit housing organizations is seen as one means of achieving this. The
non-profit organizations, too, find building more affordable housing a challenge, and are
interested in working with municipalities where possible. The intent of this research, then, is
to analyze the relationships between local governments in B.C. and non-profit societies, and
identify some of the barriers that each party faces. The research also examines the roles of
some of the other participants in affordable housing.
For municipalities, the barriers faced by them to enter housing partnerships are great. A lack
of resources, the absence of staff dedicated to housing issues, the lack of staff expertise
required to analyze complex housing partnerships, and a lack of commitment on the part of
politicians all contribute to the difficulties in having these agreements. The non-profit
housing groups also face deterrents, such as small staff sizes, few resources, in some cases,
little expertise in development, or ageing board members who do not wish to build new
housing. These barriers, however, are not insurmountable, and recommendations are
provided to overcome them.
It is important to realize that although housing partnerships can be a very effective tool, they
are just one of many that municipalities use to meet the housing needs in their communities.
Ultimately, housing needs will best be met by having all levels of government, the private
and non-profit sectors working together towards common goals. === Applied Science, Faculty of === Community and Regional Planning (SCARP), School of === Graduate
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