UBCM leaders call on B.C. to fill housing gaps that led to increased homelessness

VICTORIA — Municipal leaders in British Columbia are calling on the provincial government to fill housing gaps that have been pressing for “far too long” and have increased homelessness in their communities.

At a news conference Monday at the Union of B.C. Municipalities convention, Victoria Mayor Marianne Alto said the BC Urban Mayors’ caucus is joining local leaders at the convention to tell David Eby’s government to step up.

Alto said there are more than 3,000 homes on hold because they are waiting for provincial funding, including some projects that have been “on hold for almost a decade.”

“And that they’re experiencing significant increased costs associated with responding to this lack of housing and the homelessness to which it leads,” Alto said of local communities.

The announce