Housing Minister visits Chilliwack, says housing projects must be built faster in B.C.

“For me, speed, we have to get things built faster,” Kahlon said. “That means us, as a province, and our permitting. That also means local governments finding ways to move things through faster. Chilliwack has been doing a fairly good job of moving things, but some jurisdictions, you’re waiting eight years for something to be built.”

Chilliwack Mayor Ken Popove welcomed Kahlon’s visit to the Fraser Valley.

“I’m looking forward to sitting down with the Honourable Ravi Kahlon, Minister of Housing, to bring Chilliwack’s housing concerns to the table,” Mayor Popove said in a statement before the meeting. “Making sure the Province helps create affordable, safe and appropriate housing for our residents is a priority, and I look forward to continued partnerships with the Province in the future. We work better together.”

Supply is another critical factor, Kahlon said.

“How do we ensure there’s affordability built in?” Kahlon pondered during a 10-minute press conference in the foyer at Chilliwack City Hall. “How do we ensure there’s co-ops and different types of housing, non-market housing, non-market rentals built? It’s going to require levels of government working together.”

It is no longer just a Vancouver problem of housing affordability, Kahlon pointed out. Affordability is a province-wide issue, he emphasized.

“That’s why one of the first councils that I’ve had a chance to meet with has been Langley today, Langley City Township, now Chilliwack, and I’m meeting with Abbotsford tomorrow, because it’s not just a Vancouver problem,” Kahlon said. “This is a challenge that as a community, as a region, as a province, we all have to deal with this together.”

When pressed for specifics by a local reporter on how he would achieve attainable housing, Kahlon said his NDP government has taken action to raise wages and provide guaranteed sick pay, while acknowledging that housing is just one piece of the puzzle.

“Housing is one part of a bigger problem that we have,” he said. “Which is, coming out of the pandemic, things have become less affordable. We’re trying to fix all these things at the same time, and we have a lot of work to do. We’re making progress, but we have a lot more work to do.”

Kahlon said Chilliwack has been doing a great job with respect to housing for vulnerable populations.

“Chilliwack’s been great,” he said. “I mean, I talked to the mayor (Ken Popove) here and of course, Kelli’s been doing a great job of working from the provincial level with the local government, and the fact that you are seeing the growth here, but at the same time, you’re not forgetting the most vulnerable populations, is what’s needed. Too often, communities grow and then they say, ‘Oh, we have a problem’ and then try to figure it out. To have the leadership you have here, with all levels of government saying let’s address these issues as we grow, is actually the way to go forward.”

by Mike Vanden Bosch

Housing Minister visits Chilliwack, says housing projects must be built faster in B.C.

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