CORRESPONDENCE: POTENTIAL SITES FOR SUPPORTIVE HOUSING AND SHELTERING

RE: POTENTIAL SITES FOR SUPPORTIVE HOUSING AND SHELTERING

At its December 10, 2025, meeting, the Capital Regional District (CRD) Board received a report on Regional Engagement on Supportive Housing and Sheltering (attached). At the December meeting, the Honourable Christine Boyle, Minister of Housing and Municipal Affairs, presented on a Regional Approach to Homelessness and Sheltering. The Board subsequently directed staff to report back in March 2026, on immediate actions to advance supportive housing and sheltering across municipalities in the region.

During her presentation, Minister Boyle emphasized the importance of locating supportive housing and sheltering facilities outside the City of Victoria and noted that there may be resources available to support such projects. She advised communities could identify potential sites within their jurisdictions suitable for the development of supportive housing and sheltering and report them to the Province.

As an immediate action, and to support the needs of individuals experiencing homelessness and housing precarity across the capital region, the CRD Board is requesting that member municipalities undertake an internal review to identify any publicly owned or otherwise viable lands or facilities that could be considered as suitable for supportive housing or sheltering. This may include surplus or underutilized municipal lands, or sites that align with local planning objectives and growth strategies. Municipalities are encouraged to report any identified sites directly to the Ministry of Housing and Municipal Affairs, through the Minister’s office, and to BC Housing, through Development Strategies:

Hon. Christine Boyle Minister of Housing and Municipal Affairs Parliament Buildings Victoria, BC V8V 1X4 HMA.Minister@gov.bc.ca

BC Housing Development Strategies Suite 1701-4555 Kingsway Burnaby, BC V5H 4V8 dev-strategies@bchousing.org

Reporting potential sites directly to the Province helps ensure local priorities are clearly communicated and enables provincial resources to be aligned effectively with regional needs and opportunities.

The CRD remains committed to supporting regional coordination and information sharing as this work advances. Should your staff require additional context or access to the regional data as may be available, we would be pleased to help facilitate those connections.

Thank you for your continued leadership and collaboration as we work together to expand housing options for residents across the region.

Sincerely,

Cliff McNeil-Smith Chair, Capital Regional District Board

Attachment

cc: Honourable Christine Boyle, Minister of Housing and Municipal Affairs CRD Board Ted Robbins, Chief Administrative Officer, CRD BC Housing Development Strategies