On November 15, the Select Standing Committee on Finance and Government Services released the Report on the Budget 2022 Consultation. This report provides a comprehensive summary of the priorities and ideas shared by British Columbians during the consultation, and outlines the Committee’s 143 recommendations. The BCCA is pleased to to report that several of the recommendations being brought forward are good news for BCCA members and the sector at large.
Relevant text by Chapter:
The Fiscal and Regulatory Policy chapter has a section titled Co-operatives, which is as follows:
“The BC Co-op Association recommended provincial support for building capacity and scaling co-op development partnerships.” They noted that co-ops have traditionally been market leaders in the adoption of green and alternative energy sources, equitable workplaces, and fair and ethical business practices. Making BC the most co-op friendly jurisdiction in Canada would stimulate the local co-operative sector and help raise the profile of BC as a good place to live and invest. Further, they indicated that investments to build capacity in the co-op sector would accelerate equitable development by:
- creating meaningful employment opportunities for youth and precarious workers
- promoting business succession through transition to co-operative ownership
- increasing the competitiveness of small businesses and farming operations
- supporting community control of resource assets
- creating vehicles for local communities to invest in local enterprises
- reducing living costs and environmental impact
- building green energy infrastructure.
In the section titled Community Care and Seniors, the following is included:
“The Victoria Community Health Co-operative suggested multi-stakeholder co-ops with board oversight could provide efficient and holistic care services within care facilities and through community home care.”
In the chapter on Housing, the Affordability and Supply section includes the following:
“As potential solutions to the affordability crisis, several organizations recommended an array of housing and rental rebates or subsidies. Some suggested using revenue from the property transfer tax to support land lease renewals, affordable rental, or co-operative housing projects, while others sought economic supports based on income, a cross-subsidy to diversify rent within buildings, subsides for accessibility retrofits, and increased allotments for the Shelter Allowance for Elderly Renters and Indigenous Housing Fund.”
In the Child Care and Early Childhood Development section of the Social Services chapter, it reads:
“The Committee also heard about the need for culturally relevant child care services. The Coalition of Child Care Advocates of BC advocated for working with First Nations, Métis, and Inuit peoples to ensure that Indigenous early learning and child care frameworks are developed with Indigenous leadership. Similarly, the BC Co-op Association noted that supporting research and development of Indigenous cooperative child care models would help to identify models that are more in line with traditional ways of teaching and learning and provide a pathway for more culturally appropriate early learning and child care for Indigenous populations.”
Recommendations
There are two relevant recommendations:
- Recommendation 58: Support the co-operative sector by investing in capacity-building and scaling of existing co-operatives and investing in the development of new co-operatives and community-based enterprises.
- Recommendation 101: Prioritize and take immediate action to increase the affordability and supply of housing by seriously examining all provincial policy levers, including: blanket zoning; municipal incentives to increase density and address development and permitting processes and timelines; taxation; co-op housing; short-term rental regulations; and development incentives and other creative solutions and partnerships.