Local Governments Call on Housing to Be a Human Right and Changes to Police Funding Model

Two important conferences take place annually for municipalities in the Lower Mainland, focusing on advocacy to the provincial government. The first is the Lower Mainland Local Government Association conference and annual general meeting. As part of the conference, municipalities and regional districts submit resolutions, which delegates debate. The Lower Mainland LGA forwards the resolution that the Lower Mainland delegates endorse to the Union of BC Municipalities for further debate and potential endorsement by delegates from local governments throughout the province.

There are similar local area associations throughout BC that follow the same process. Local governments can also submit resolutions directly to the UBCM for debate by delegates from throughout the province. This direct approach is discouraged because if you cannot get a resolution endorsed at your local area association, the odds of it passing at UBCM are reduced. Sometimes, municipalities jointly submit resolutions to UBCM directly from different area associations. Langley City Council supports two of these motions for debate at the UBCM conference this fall, as shared below.

Declaring Housing as a Human Right

WHEREAS recognizing housing as a human right fundamentally shifts government motivations by adding critical urgency and responsibility to ensure access to affordable housing (meaning housing costs are aligned with income) through policies that prevent homelessness, address the escalating housing and homelessness crisis, eliminate discrimination, and prioritize the needs of vulnerable and marginalized populations;

AND WHEREAS the Government of Canada affirmed the right to housing as a matter of international law and enshrined it domestically through the National Housing Strategy Act (2019), recognizing housing as a human right and establishing mechanisms for accountability and inclusion;

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the UBCM call for the BC Government to enshrine housing as a human right in legislation and forthcoming housing and homelessness strategies, ensuring that housing policy in British Columbia is grounded in principles of equity, accessibility, accountability, and the inherent dignity of all people.

Police Services Funding Model

WHEREAS systemic social issues outside of a municipality's mandate, such as poverty, addiction, and mental health challenges, contribute to increased call volumes and demands on police services, creating high police services costs that are further exacerbated by the need to respond to and manage the impacts of these systemic social issues;

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that UBCM urgently appeal to the Province of British Columbia to develop an equitable Police Services funding program for all BC municipalities and regional districts that takes into account the financial capacity and population size of each jurisdiction, as well as the additional demands placed on police services due to systemic social issues outside of a municipality's mandate.