The Federal Budget was released on April 16, 2024, and there are several measures included in the budget that have been the subject of BSH research and advocacy.
An overview of these initiatives is outlined below:
- The budget introduces federal tenant protection funding for the first time. Our research has exposed many inequalities and loopholes around bad-faith evictions and so we’re pleased to see federal funding going towards protecting tenants from unfair practices.
- The budget also focused on financialization of housing. The upcoming restrictions on large corporate landlords (details TBA) is a welcome measure, but only focuses on single-family homes, but our research shows that multi-family rental buildings, which are often older (and more likely to be affordable), are the primary targets of organizations like REITs.
- We’re looking forward to upcoming changes to the National Building Code, which provinces and territories must adopt for sustained transit funding. While we don’t yet have the details of the changes, our research has shown that the single egress is a major area where changes could improve housing affordability.
- The budget outlined a number of major changes to land policy. Our work has focused on land use, and we’re delighted to see the improvements to land-use policy on federal parcels and the changes to agency mandates prioritizing housing. We hope that some of these changes also include community land trust models, which our research has highlighted as a best-practice in land-use.
To learn more about our research and keep up to date on our upcoming news and events, visit housingresearch.ubc.ca or register for our newsletter.