Outgoing Mayor Lyn Hall and outgoing Victoria Mayor Lisa Helps were guests on a Oct. 25 episode of BC Housing’s podcast, Let’s Talk Housing.
Hall and Helps spoke about the housing challenges facing Prince George and Victoria, and their insights on partnering with other levels of government, health authorities, Indigenous groups, local non-profit organizations to take on those challenges. The episode was recorded in September, before the municipal election.
“We have the same issues here in Prince George as Mayor Helps has just explained and laid out the situation in Victoria,” Hall said. “We have a tremendous amount of need for all levels of housing. We have just done through, and continue to go through, a building boom here in Prince George. So that means an escalation in housing prices, in condo development prices and it just goes on and on and on.”
The private sector has built some new student housing developments
Hall said the city’s focus has been on seeing a variety of new housing and the development of new supportive housing.
“We have a tremendous amount of people who require supports, and that’s the work that’s being done,” Hall said. “(But) we still are lacking in a number of areas. And I think the important thing for us, is Prince George is really the hub of the north. And we are called on all the time to provide various services to people all through the northern part of the province.”
People expect their municipal governments and take a leading role in addressing housing issues, he said, but the city isn’t in a position to tackle issues like housing and addictions on its own. However, the provincial and federal governments have been more willing to come to the table over the time he’s been in politics, Hall added.
“We continue to say, ‘We’re prepared to lead, but we need you at the table because you’re the ones with the responsibility provide what we’re after, which is supportive housing and housing at all levels,’” Hall said. “Everybody has to know whose responsibility is whose.
The city has been working with Northern Health and BC Housing on an integrated housing model, which offers housing, health care, mental health and addiction treatment in a single setting, he said.
“I’m hoping that will lend some hope to other municipalities that are looking to strengthen those partnerships,” Hall said. “I think that’s the role municipalities are very, very good at is stepping to the plate and taking a leadership role and trying to bring those other agencies together to try to develop these types of programs and these types of facilities.”
The second season of the Let’s Talk Housing podcast started with a focus on north-central B.C. In episode one, released on Oct. 11, the featured guests were “Joe”, a shelter guest at Quesnel Shelter and Support Society and Jennie Goodenough, a Homelessness Prevention Program outreach worker living in northern B.C.
The episodes can be listed to for free online, on Apple Podcasts or on Spotify.
