RIEP Presentation_ Affordable Housing Across The Islands

Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - One of the 2025 RIEP Virtual Forum presentations was a panel discussion of how the affordable housing societies were faring on eight rural islands. There were a lot of common themes running throughout their stories: difficulties obtaining funding through BC Housing, CMHC and other organizations whose requirements are drawn up for urban rather than rural areas; the cost of builing on remote islands; relationships with regional districts and Island Trust; and water issues. The moderator was Mike Hoebel from the Galiano Island Affordable Housing Society.

Mike Hoebel: “The lack of affordable housing is truly a crisis in our communities and housing policy was a major item for discussion back at RIEP's 2023 In-Person Porum Gabriola. Today we're going to hear from a number of people about housing related initiatives underway in their communities.”

“First we'll be hearing from Elizabeth FitzZaland from Salt Spring Solutions, then Adam, to talk about the Housing Now program, Bruin Black is going to share some information about the Cortes Housing Society’s Initiatives. April Lewis from Hornby, Simon Palmer from Denman, Deb Goldman from Mayne, Avi Bryant here on Galiano and I'll share a bit of update about the Galiano Affordable Living Initiative Society's project on Galiano. Following the panel presentations we'll touch briefly on some advocacy issues to the province.”