Victoria city council has unanimously called on the provincial and federal governments to renew funding for two rent supplement programs that support very low-income residents, warning that their elimination could push more people into homelessness.
The motion, passed during a council meeting on Sept. 24, asks both levels of government to guarantee continued funding for the provincial Supported Rent Supplement Program (SRSP) and the Canada-British Columbia Housing Benefit (CBCHB). The two programs work together to help very low-income residents secure and maintain stable housing, but both face elimination within the next two years unless funding commitments are renewed.
Coun. Krista Loughton, who brought the motion forward jointly with Mayor Marianne Alto, said rent supplements play an essential role in preventing homelessness and that cutting the programs would eliminate a key pathway off the streets for people currently experiencing homelessness.
How the Programs Work
The CBCHB is a federal-provincial cost-matching program that delivers rent supplements to very low-income British Columbians, while the SRSP is designed to reduce and prevent homelessness through a coordinated network of support services aligned with the federal benefit. Together, the programs allow participants who need some assistance, but not full supportive housing, to move into and remain in stable market housing. According to the motion, rent supplements are significantly more cost-effective than the capital and operational costs associated with supportive housing.
Local Pilot Program at Stake
Funding from the CBCHB and SRSP also supports Victoria’s Positive Transfer, or Positive Flow, Pilot Program, which provides rental supplements to individuals currently living in supportive housing who are ready to move into market apartments. Freeing up those supportive housing units would, in turn, open shelter spaces for people currently without housing, and shelter spots for those sleeping outside.
Loughton said there are approximately 100 people currently living in supportive housing in Victoria who could live independently if they could afford market rent. Moving those individuals out, she said, could open up to 100 additional spaces for people currently in shelters, which would create further room for people living on the streets.
Broader Impacts Cited by Council
Council noted that this chain reaction in housing availability could ease pressure on first responders, police, bylaw officers, and mental health and outreach workers, while also supporting local businesses and residents. Loughton said helping people move into appropriate housing would make the city more livable and safer overall, but stressed that Victoria cannot sustain these efforts without continued commitments from other levels of government to fund affordable and stable housing options for very low-income residents.
This article references reporting from:
