B.C. Premier David Eby trumpets 'transformative' housing initiatives as he looks back on 2023
Housing legislation passed in the fall session includes action on short-term rentals
It has been a busy first year in office for B.C. Premier David Eby, from launching "cost of living" credits for residents and businesses, to unveiling a bill banning drug use in most public spaces amid an experiment in decriminalization meant to address rising toxic drug deaths.
Among the changes he's introduced since becoming premier in November 2022, he says, the most transformative have been part of the New Democrat government's home-building agenda.
Shortly after being sworn in, Eby, who previously served as B.C.'s housing minister, announced several housing affordability initiatives. His most ambitious swing at the housing crisis came during the legislature's fall session, where at least four major pieces of housing legislation were introduced.
Eby says change won't be felt overnight, but argues that British Columbians have already started benefiting from these measures.
He sat down with CBC's On The Island host Gregor Craigie to reflect on the year.
The following transcript has been edited for clarity and length.
You've brought in some of the most ambitious housing legislation in decades. How much of a difference could your legislation make in terms of affordability?
The laws that we passed this year, they are rightly getting a lot of recognition because they are quite transformative. We're doing things like reining in the excesses of short-term rentals like Airbnb, and it's having immediate impact. It doesn't come into full force until May but already people are reaching out and saying they are moving into a place that used to be an Airbnb.
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So we're looking for those opportunities where we can open housing right away for people and we're addressing those structural issues that have been preventing more housing from getting built.
One of the new laws permits multi-unit buildings on lots typically used for single-family detached housing. People are worried they're going to get "renovicted" and many express concern over fourplexes being built right next door. Do you think their attitudes are going to change as the neighbourhoods transform?
We get it that we need to protect old affordable rental housing. We have dedicated half a billion dollars that will enable non-profits to buy older rental buildings rather than allowing those buildings to be sold to developers.
We're are also making sure that renters are protected when such buildings have to be redeveloped, that they have a place to live in between while it is redeveloped.
When it comes to people living in older single-family neighbourhoods who say they don't want a fourplex beside them, [it's important to understand] the units are for the nurses, for the teachers, it's for the person who runs the coffee shop that you like, for the baker at the local bakery that you like.
And without those people, the community is not livable. We can't just keep sprawling out into agricultural land. We have to use the land better than we have been using it.
If the housing crisis has kept you busy, so too has the opioid crisis. B.C.'s outgoing chief coroner Lisa Lapointe said a recent coroners death review panel recommendation to provide controlled drugs to people without prescriptions would help stop deaths from toxic drugs. Will your government implement those expert recommendations?
She has done just an exceptional piece of work and we do look to her for recommendations. We agree on the core idea that the criminal justice system is not the way to respond to someone in addiction crisis.
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But where we part ways is she thinks the government should be more involved in facilitating access to hard drugs like crystal meth and crack cocaine to address the toxic drug crisis. And my belief is we need to focus right now on recovery and support for treatment.
We have a seamless treatment initiative at St. Paul's Hospital. We are working with the Canadian Mental Health Association; more than 100 beds will be opening up to give people that chance to get into treatment.
Inflation is a huge concern and we know that British Columbians have been using food banks this year more than ever. What can your government do in the coming year to help those struggling to make ends meet?
In this past year, we launched the first province-wide breakfast program for kids in schools to make sure they have access to at least one healthy meal a day when they're at school. We have put additional public money into food banks' refrigeration so that they can expand the services they provide to be able to support more families with additional storage location, warehouse space.
We recognize that a lot of what's driving higher food costs is transportation costs from other jurisdictions, drought impacting food availability and so we are investing in manufacturing and production of food here in B.C. to provide more stability around costs for families.
We hit a record on national population growth due to immigration this year. What are your thoughts around the increase in population here in B.C. through immigration for the next few years?
I have a huge level of anxiety about the growth that we're seeing in B.C. I know I'm not alone. Immigration is a huge benefit for our province. We have an aging population, there's lots of jobs that we need filled and we are very grateful for the people that are choosing to locate here.
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But the numbers are such that we can't support these folks. We're seeing significant exploitation of international students and temporary residents by employers, by landlords. We really need the federal government to be a better partner on this. We can not control the number of people coming in at the provincial level. The only way we're going to be able to get our hands around this exploitation issue is if we work with the federal government.
With files from Gregor Craigie and On The Island