108

Item Description

That Council direct Staff to submit the following resolution to the Union of BC Municipalities (UBCM) for consideration at their 2025 Annual General Meeting and Convention:

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 British Columbia 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.

Votes cast ‘In Favour’ are labeled as 'Climate-Positive' for the climate.