Affordable Housing
Addressing the Housing Crisis in Greater Victoria.
Seeing Suffering
The housing crisis is forcing people into homelessness or displacing them from their communities.
Housing is a basic human right that is not being met.
Taking Action
In the past 4 years, GVAT has pushed local government in greater Victoria to employ a human rights approach in municipal programs and decisions, and has successfully advocated for housing reforms like additional funding for youth in care, legalization of secondary suites, and engaging the public with our 2022 Homes for All community assembly.
Keeping it Up
We will continue to provide public outreach and keep organizing until Greater Victoria has stabilized rental costs and has supplied affordable housing for all those who need it.
A Humanitarian Crisis
The cost of housing has skyrocketed in recent years, leaving many people unhoused and young people uncertain about their futures. The unhoused population grows daily, and with each day stable affordable housing becomes more unattainable.
We need a Human Rights-based solution to address this humanitarian crisis, and to make the housing market work for ordinary people again.
Building Bridges, Building Power
Currently, GVAT is working in partnership with the British Columbia General Employee’s Union on their AffordableBC campaign demanding real rent control.
We are organizing to build power to protect tenants by demanding the provincial government tie rental increase limits to the unit, not the tenant, to stop the rapid increase of average market rents in areas with high turnover like the CRD.
Creating the Affordable Housing For All Campaign
GVAT has called on local governments in Greater Victoria to embrace a Human Rights approach to housing as an overarching framework in municipal programs and decisions, pursuing the following actions:
1. Buy land for social housing.
2. Build social housing.
3. Prioritize housing for the unhoused.
4. Protect renters.
5. Zone land to prioritize affordable housing.
6. Integrate affordable housing with affordable low-carbon transportation.
A Milestone Event
In 2022, we held our first Homes For All Community Assembly, bringing together 300+ members from our diverse community to hold municipal candidates accountable on housing affordability.
Through it, we gained the commitment of the candidates to meet with us annually to discuss how they are meeting our Homes For All campaign targets.
