Title
National Housing Strategy
Recommended Action
Whereas it is necessary and desirable to create efficient and cost-effective opportunities to facilitate the Township of Langley’s 2013 Housing Action Plan with respect to the provision of affordable housing options in the Township of Langley;
Whereas the Provincial and Federal governments have now defined and articulated a number of opportunities for local governments to receive funding through the National Housing Strategy, as well as the Province’s Community Housing Fund and Housing Hub initiatives, in order to receive funds to facilitate this purpose;
Whereas provisions for partnering with community service groups, charities and non-profit organizations, faith-based and others, enhances the opportunities to build the required “income sensitive” or “below market” housing which is critically required; and
Whereas there are current challenges arising from the inflexible statutory framework of the Income Tax Act which have negatively impacted the ability of non-profits and registered charities wishing to undertake such development, which statutory framework has resulted in an inordinate barrier to uptake of these opportunities brought about by arcane tax rules that require extraordinary legal agreements which effectively drain the resources and capacity of the relevant partners;
Therefore be it resolved that Council request the relevant Agencies review and amend the Income Tax Act and its associated policies in order to reflect the need to remove the barriers as outlined in the “White Paper” on affordable housing, as presented at the BCNPHA Rent event in May of 2018, in order to enhance the potential for new affordable housing initiatives by non-profits and charities within the Township, and that this motion be forwarded to UBCM, FCM, the Federal Government, and the Federal Finance Department.