2025 R28 – Mandatory Good Neighbour Agreement
- Year: 2025
- AVICC Number: R28
- UBCM Number: NR19
- Sechelt
Whereas local governments across British Columbia are experiencing challenges related to supportive housing and shelter facilities, including concerns about community safety, property maintenance, and local accountability;
And whereas some supportive housing and shelter operators do not consistently engage with local governments or community stakeholders to address concerns, leading to negative impacts on surrounding neighborhoods:
Therefore be it resolved that UBCM urge the Province of British Columbia and BC Housing to require that all supportive housing and shelter operators enter into a Good Neighbour Agreement (GNA) with the local governments in which these facilities operate, to ensure clear expectations regarding community impact mitigation, security measures, and ongoing engagement with local government and residents.
- Year: 2025
- AVICC Number: R28
- Sponsor: Sechelt
- Resolution Type: Provincial
- Category: Housing
- AVICC Decision: Endorsed
- AVICC Action: Forwarded to UBCM
- AVICC Response link
- UBCM Number: NR19
- UBCM Decision: Endorsed
- Provincial Response:Ministry of Housing and Municipal Affairs The Province, through BC Housing, is working to more effectively promote the inclusion of new supportive housing and shelters into communities. Good Neighbour Agreements between housing providers and municipalities have historically been used as a tool to promote accountability and foster collaboration. In recent years, BC Housing has identified several inconsistencies and legal gaps in this approach. The following are opportunities that have been identified to improve the clarity and sustainability of these types of commitments: - Exploring innovative ways to support community engagement while non-profit operators adhere to contracted scope and funding - Upholding privacy standards to protect clientresident information - Ensuring real estate transactions remain distinct from community agreement - Respecting channels of oversight and assessment between BC Housing and non-profit operators - BC Housing is transitioning to an updated model for supportive housing and permanent shelter projects that include the development of plans for inclusion with and for unique communities, collaboration with key organizations who are mandated and funded to respond to homelessness andor promote community safety and well-being. This updated approach centres around collaboration, community-building and relationships - Is adaptable: can include meetings, regular communicationsupdates for community and the municipality, events, etc. This approach uses Letters of Commitment between BC Housing and the municipality as a starting point for collaborative neighbourhood inclusion planning. These letters: - Exist outside Housing Agreements and real estate transactions - Provide strong, detailed commitments from BC Housing where there previously were none - Provide a formal opportunity for groups with various mandates to collaborate on community inclusion and safety where there previously were none or few - Can include commitments in areas such as building design i.e. security features, operational matters i.e. property maintenance, resident policies and good neighbour expectations i.e. complaint resolution, issues response
- UBCM Response link
The AVICC acknowledges that we are grateful to live, work, and play on the traditional territories of theCoast Salish, Nuu-Chah-Nulth and Kwak-Waka’wakw Peoples