Atira Women's Resource Society CEO resigns after blistering B.C. Housing audit

The embattled CEO of Atira Women's Resource Society, Janice Abbott, has resigned after a damning audit found conflict of interest violations involving her husband, the former head of B.C. Housing.

Atira announced Abbott's departure in a statement Monday.

"The board and staff at Atira are deeply committed to serving and protecting women and children and providing much-needed housing. We are confident that this path forward will allow us to focus on the essential work with fewer distractions," board chair Elva Kim wrote.

Atira, the largest housing operator in B.C., returned nearly $2 million in surplus funds to the province and announced a third-party review of its policies and practices after the audit of B.C. Housing last week.

Premier David Eby said Housing Minister Ravi Kahlon told him Monday about Abbott's resignation.

"This will, my hope is, set Atira back on its path of restoring public confidence and trust so they can continue delivering essential services to people across the province," the premier said during an unrelated news conference.

Atira will also open its books to allow an independent third-party review, he said.

"I'm very hopeful Atira is on the right track as of today," Eby said.

Report finds oversight issues, conflict of interest

The report said former B.C. Housing CEO Shayne Ramsay directed funds to Atira, despite being married to Abbott, and repeatedly influenced decisions that benefited the society.

The probe found Atira bypassed traditional communication channels and went straight to senior members of the Crown corporation for funding requests.

Atira was also awarded contracts directly, "without transparent, competitive processes designed to ensure the proper use of public funds,'' the report said.

Inadequate oversight at B.C. Housing's board "resulted in a culture whereby it was deemed acceptable to tolerate non-compliance with [conflict of interest] policies," it added.

Interim CEO to be appointed

The premier said last week that the government expected Atira to take steps to ensure public confidence in its operations, which could include leadership change.

The statement from Atira said the provider had also returned $1.9 million in surplus funds to B.C. Housing agreed to include a government representative as an observer on its board and established a group to investigate Atira's policies and practices, including how it deals with conflicts of interest.

Atira reiterated its commitment to "open, transparent and proactive communication" with the government and B.C. Housing, and said it welcomes the opportunity to discuss the report with them.

The board will be appointing an interim CEO as soon as possible, it said.

Atira operates nearly 3,000 units of housing for women, children and gender-diverse people in B.C.'s Lower Mainland.

"The board and staff at Atira are deeply committed to serving and protecting women and children and providing much-needed housing," Kim's statement said.