May 21, 2020
Ref: 254635
Dear Regional Chief Terry Teegee:
During these uncertain times, it is clearer than ever that safe, secure, appropriate and affordable housing is critical for all British Columbians.
I am writing today to share with you that we will be opening the next Request for Proposals (RFP) for the Community Housing Fund, working with our partners to deliver more homes for the people of B.C. A similar letter has been sent to all Nations in the province.
The Community Housing Fund helps to create affordable rental homes for middle and low-income British Columbians. The fund supports projects that are a mixed-income model, with 20% of the housing in each building for low-income households, 50% rent geared to income (housing income limit) and 30% for moderate income households (up to $74,000). BC Housing welcomes Indigenous-based non-profit housing societies and First Nations communities which want to develop and operate rental housing projects both on- or off-Nation, for Elders, individuals, seniors and families to submit proposals.
BC Housing will issue the Request for Proposals on May 27, 2020, and it will be open until mid-January 2021, giving proponents time to prepare their submissions. While the RFP will be open until mid-January, BC Housing will proceed with pre-allocation to successful proponents as early as September 2020. For more information please visit.
These homes are the next step in our 10-year housing plan. In just over two years we’ve already made great progress together, providing thousands of secure homes to families, individuals and seniors in communities across the province through our housing programs:
- Community Housing Fund will provide close to $1.9 billion over 10 years to build and operate 14,350 affordable new rental homes for seniors, families, low-income and middle-income earners. As of December 31, 2019, 5,200 units are complete or in progress.
- Indigenous Housing Fund will provide $550 million over 10 years to build and operate 1,750 units of social housing for projects for Indigenous peoples both on- and off-Nation. As of December 31, 2019, 1,165 units are complete or in progress.
Women’s Transition Housing Fund will provide $734 million over 10 years to build 1,500 new supportive homes for women and children fleeing violence, including transition houses, safe homes, second-stage and long-term housing. As of December 31, 2019, 679 units are complete or in progress.
Programs for supportive housing will provide $1.4 billion over 10 years to build and operate 4,900 units of supportive housing for those who are experiencing homelessness or at risk of homelessness. As of December 31, 2019, 3,072 units are complete or in progress.
HousingHub, a new branch of BC Housing, promotes, facilitates and coordinates housing partnerships to create affordable homes. As of December 31, 2019, 2,800 units are complete or in progress.
In addition to the Community Housing Fund RFP, there are other ongoing opportunities available to partner with BC Housing:
- Building BC funds: BC Housing welcomes discussions with partners interested in developing new housing through the Supportive Housing Fund and the Women’s Transition Housing Fund. Visit to learn more.
HousingHub was established to seek innovative partnerships with local housing organizations, community land trusts, Indigenous groups, faith-based groups, charities, the development community, financial institutions and other industries to create affordable rental housing and homeownership options for middle-income British Columbians. As a centre for housing expertise and collaboration, affordable housing will be developed through the HousingHub either through new construction or through the redevelopment of existing sites. Partners bring suitable land, equity and/or the catalyst for development. The HousingHub can provide:
o Expertise and assistance in the planning and development process
o Access to pre-development funding
o Low-cost financing
o Project co-ordination advice
o A place for organizations to collaborate
To learn more, visit
Housing is the foundation on which people build their lives and Indigenous people should have access to good housing whether they live on- or off-Nation. That’s why, when we became government, we chose to be the first province to provide funding for on-Nation housing and make all of the Building BC funding programs, including the Community Housing Fund, open to First Nations.
At that time, we created the Indigenous Housing Fund (IHF), which will provide $550 million over 10 years to build and operate 1,750 units of social housing for projects for Indigenous peoples both on-and off-Nation and is only open to Indigenous housing providers. We issued the first call for the IHF in 2018 and received a tremendous response, with more than 1,100 homes announced in November 2018. Another call for the IHF will open in the future. At this time, BC Housing’s focus is on moving the existing IHF projects into the construction phase to make sure we’re delivering these homes for people as quickly as possible.
We know that there is much work to be done to provide safe, secure, affordable and appropriate housing for all Indigenous peoples, and our government is committed to working with you. The Government of Canada also has an obligation to help provide this urgently needed housing and I will continue to call on them to meet that responsibility.
Thank you for all you are doing to create more affordable housing for First Nations people.
Sincerely,
Selina Robinson
Minister