1. Thinking about health and wellness beyond the healthcare system, what plans does your party have to reduce chronic disease which currently affects over 35% of British Columbians and is primarily from risk factors related to diet, activity and smoking?
• The BC Greens approach to health starts with the social determinants of healthwith creating a society in which people are supported to be and stay well.
• Many of B.C. Green Party policies as touched on in answers to questions posed below have short and long-term impacts on reducing the major contributors to chronic disease for British columbians. Support for cycle paths and walkable neighborhoods (question 3) and free transit for all (question 5), for example, will generate positive impacts by way of increasing individual fitness and gradually improving the air quality of urban centres in particular. Our plan to reduce the availability and advertising of tobacco products, including vaping, speak directly to the issues that you raise.
• Likewise, our more comprehensive policies addressing an end to fracking and LNG pipelines and defunding, regulating and taxation of the oil and gas industry will lead directly to cleaner air, water, and green spaces for every British Columbian.
• Finally, the B.C. Greens plan to grow socio-cultural and ecotourism, industries that attract British Columbians just as they do providing visitors from around the world. We believe that adequate upstream investments in sport and recreation in B.C.’s green spaces, campgrounds, and trails can create more connected communities, and healthier individuals – reducing the pressures on the healthcare system in the long-term by preventing disease, improving mobility, and helping people live longer, healthier lives.
2. What policy measures or investments would your party implement to expand the availability of affordable housing?
• To address BC’s housing crisis, we propose a comprehensive shift away from relying on private, for-profit housing models. Instead, we will focus on expanding non-market and co-op housing to meet the growing demand for affordable homes. Here’s how:
• Overhaul BC Housing – We will streamline operations and improve efficiency and transparency to increase non-market housing supply. Our target is to build 26,000 new units of non-market housing annually.
• Streamline Approvals and Permits – We will accelerate the construction of affordable housing by reducing delays and simplifying the permit process. We
also plan to Implement pre-zoning for projects that meet certain specifications and fast-track permits for non-profit developments.
• Support Nonprofits and Co-ops – We will provide non-profits and housing cooperatives with upfront investment and downstream low-cost financing options. This includes providing grant capital, forgivable loans, and low-interest financing through government-backed construction loans and mortgage guarantees.
• Utilize and Acquire Public Land – We will make existing public land available for non-profit housing development and acquire new public land specifically for the purpose of building affordable housing.
• By implementing these measures, we aim to create more affordable housing, support the development of vibrant, mixed-income communities, and ensure that more British Columbians have access to a safe and secure home.
Protecting affordable housing stock
• The BC Greens will expand the Rental Protection Fund with a $500 million recapitalization to safeguard existing affordable rental units, and increase transparency to ensure the allocation of funds is equitable.
• We will invest in maintenance by allocating additional funds to preserve and maintain existing non-profit and co-op housing.
• We will institute a Right of First Refusal, granting non-profit organizations the right of first refusal on the sale of rental apartment buildings to prevent the loss of affordable housing.
• We will implement regulations to curb the impact of short-term rentals on the availability of long-term affordable housing, and amend the Short Term Rental Accommodation Act to repeal its grandfather clause.
Protecting the rights of renters and the viability of rental properties
• We will Introduce Vacancy Control to prevent landlords from dramatically increasing rents after a tenancy ends. This measure aims to reduce bad-faith evictions and ensure housing security for tenants.
• We will establish a Tenant Protection and Displacement Policy, enacted provincewide to protect renters from mistreatment and to minimize the impacts of displacement and ‘renovictions’, without unduly burdening landlords.
• We intend to amend the Residential Tenancy Act by requiring landlords to provide concrete evidence before evicting tenants on grounds of "landlord’s use," to prevent misuse of eviction reasons.
• We will modernize the Residential Tenancy Branch to address tenant and landlord concerns and disputes, ensure more effective support and resolution, and better reflect the realities of the housing affordability crisis.
• In place of the Homeowner Grant that only benefits households earning over $200,000 per annum, we will offer a Harmonized Housing Grant, an incometested housing grant available to both renters and homeowners to provide financial relief and support housing stability.
Addressing the needs of elderly renters
• To improve the Shelter Aid for Elderly Renters Program (SHELTER) and the Rental Assistance Program (RAP), BC Greens will increase funding to $200 million annually, raising the rent ceilings and index them to inflation, and expand eligibility.
• The BC Greens will ensure that the rental protection provisions in the Residential Tenancies Act apply to seniors in assisted living thereby limiting annual payment increases – including additional fees for service.
• The BC Greens will continue to support the BC SAFER (Shelter Aid for Elderly Renters) program that helps make rents affordable for BC seniors with low to moderate incomes.by providing monthly cash payments to subsidize rents for eligible BC residents who are age 60 or over.
• The BC Greens will expand the Home Improvement Assistance Program. Currently, this program provides eligible seniors, people with disabilities, and landlords a rebate of up to $20,000 per home for modifications for accessible, safe, and independent living.
3. Will your party invest in social infrastructure in areas with growing populations or where new housing is built? (e.g.: recreation facilities, parks, daycares, immigrant services, seniors’ programs)
• The BC Greens plan to promote mixed-use, walkable communities. We will invest in neighborhoods that blend affordable housing with essential services, ensuring they are walkable and integrated with transit.
• Our ‘Smart Density’ plan includes these steps:
• Embrace upzoning to allow higher density, prioritizing purpose-built rentals and non-market housing near transit hubs.
• Build Right Supply and address diverse housing needs by developing housing for families, students, essential workers, people with disabilities, and implementing a province-wide strategy to build sufficient senior housing
• Attach non-market housing projects to capital projects: hospitals, schools, seniors housing.
• Utilize Land Value Capture: Introduce land value capture taxes to reinvest in community infrastructure and amenities and thereby ensure infrastructure keeps pace with new developments and that municipalities have the funding and resources they need.
• We will focus on cycling infrastructure in cities, and make bike lanes welcoming and safe for people who use wheelchairs and mobility scooters.
Through these strategies, we aim to build well-rounded, sustainable communities that meet the diverse needs of all British Columbians.
4. How will your party address the youth vaping epidemic? What is your party’s position on tobacco reduction? (e.g.: banning flavoured vapes, expanding smoke-free housing or increasing the legal age of purchase?)
A facts-based approach to substance use
• We will remove sales of tobacco from British Columbia pharmacies, and eliminate all advertising of vaping and nicotine products
• Recognizing that Abstinence-based education programs – like DARE – have been shown to be insufficient at educating youth about drugs and substance use, the BC Greens will work to ensure that all schools provide age-appropriate information on drugs and substance use that is rooted in evidence and compassion. We recognize the importance of providing information on drug safety through accessible, relatable, and relevant guidelines that are continually updated.
5. What other measures will your party put in place to improve air quality? (e.g.: public and active transportation, trees and greenspace in urban areas)
Monitoring both indoor and outdoor environments
• As climate change intensifies, our exposure to wildfire smoke will increase. The Province has a responsibility to keep people safe. This means taking air quality and the impacts of air pollution seriously.
• Recognizing that young children, older adults, pregnant people and individuals who live or work outdoors are more susceptible to smoke, the BC Greens will invest in air quality monitors in communities across the province.
• Employers and operators will need to adhere to new regulations set in accordance with public health guidelines to ensure safe air quality standards are met.
Making safe breathing space
• We recognize that air pollution is the greatest environmental threat to human health. Exposure to wildfire smoke is responsible for upwards of 2,500 premature deaths every year in Canada, and air pollution costs BC at least $14 billion in health costs every year.
• The BC Greens will invest in innovative clean air centres in every community across the province. These refuges will offer safe levels of air filtration and air conditioning and be equipped with water, food, beds, access to wifi, and other essential services to meet the needs of the local population.
Ensuring clean air everywhere
• The BC Greens will make clean air accessible to people in their homes and in public buildings by providing funding to purchase portable air cleaner with a HEPA filter.
• We will mandate that existing buildings where we send our most vulnerable, such as assisted care facilities, child care centres, and schools, be retrofitted with air filters.
• We will require that new buildings have safe levels of air filtration and cooling, standardizing this practice across the province.
Free public transit
• Working to develop a thoughtful response, we have taken into account recommendations made by the BC Poverty Reduction Coalition’s 85 member organizations from across the province. Along with raising the rates of disability support and income support for people with disabilities and enshrining housing as a human right, making accessible public transportation free to all has become a key priority for the BC Greens in this election.
Transit for travelers
• Committing to making public transit the go-to choice for commuters and travelers by offering bus trips at a minimum of hourly intervals between 5am and midnight on all major routes, e.g. between Victoria and Nanaimo, between Prince George and Prince Rupert and along the Highway of Tears, between Whistler, Squamish and Vancouver.
• Expanding the West Coast Express to Chilliwack and increasing service availability.
• Doubling the number of buses in BC Transit within three years and tripling it within six years.
• Improving public transit to airports and ferry terminals in Victoria and Nanaimo, and ensuring all bus stops at ferry terminals are equipped with shelters.
• Connecting all transit systems with one ticket-access, synchronized services, and connected information infrastructure.
• End the practice of routinely outsourcing bus operations to the lowest bidder and ensure that BC Transit and Translink are Living Wage employers.
• Convene a roundtable with Federal, Indigenous, Regional and Municipal Governments to decisively determine next steps on the question of Vancouver Island rail.
6. What policies or programs would your party advance to improve food security and the availability of affordable healthy foods?
Universal school food program
• The BC Greens will create a universal school food program, which would include:
o Equal Access: Every kid in British Columbia, regardless of their family's money situation, would have the same chance to enjoy healthy meals.
o Nutritional Standards: Meals will meet comprehensive guidelines, supporting children's health and development.
o School and Community Collaboration: Collaboration with schools, organizations, and local farmers to promote sustainable practices and educate children about healthy eating habits.
Protecting farmland
• The BC Greens plan to make food production and food security part of the Agricultural Land Commission’s mandate.
• We will restrict and regulate foreign ownership of Agricultural Land Reserve land.
• We will investigate how to mitigate the impacts of the oil and gas industries on agricultural land in the north east.
• The BC Greens are committed to expanding the area of land under food production and creating a publicly owned agricultural land bank available to lease by new farmers.
Promote regenerative farming practices
• The BC Greens will support the implementation of Regenerative farming practices to bolster ecosystem health, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and restore soil health.
• We will incentivize best management practices and promote technologies that build healthier soils, improve water management (e.g. rainwater harvesting systems), reduce energy use and sequester carbon.
• We will streamline approval processes for water storage dugouts on farms
• Commit the Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship to work with farmers to ensure the protection of food crops during drought periods.
Supporting farmers
• Recognizing that at present, the average age of Canadian farm operators is 55 years old and farm operators represent just 2% of Canada’s population, the BC Greens will work to attract new entrant farmers by:
• improving access to credit and capital for new entrant farmers;
• identifying options to make farming a more attractive and sustainable endeavour, including a Basic Income Guarantee for farmers
Bolstering local food systems
• The BC Greens plan to rebuild food processing, storage and distribution systems in the province.
• We will work to support small-scale, locally & cooperatively-owned infrastructure and businesses, including grocery retail, and invest in farmers markets, community supported agriculture and non-profit food hubs.
• We will develop policy to facilitate public institutional procurement of local food and will increase support for the Farmers Market Nutrition Coupon Program.
Honouring Indigenous food sovereignty
• The BC Greens will work to collaboratively develop systems to address food insecurity with First Nations Indigenous knowledge and values.
• We will invest in Indigenous food sovereignty programs, focusing on localized food systems, supporting access to and use of traditional foods, nurturing the development of knowledge and skills in relationship to nature, and addressing the importance of food providers within the community.
Fisheries
• Recognizing that community fisheries are vital for local food security, our cultural connection to the sea, and supporting rural and remote economies, the BC Greens will commit to building a sustainable, fair, and vibrant commercial fishery in BC.
• We will investigate the potential of regenerative ocean farming - growing seaweeds and shellfish - as a viable economic, cultural, and sustainable industry for Indigenous and coastal communities
• We will transition all open net-pen salmon farms in B.C. to land-based aquaculture systems
7. Does your party have a plan to reduce poverty? (e.g.: raise Income Assistance rates to account for the cost of healthy food and market rental rates or offer subsidies so those with low incomes can access physical activity programs?)
The village: a model of safe and supported temporary housing
• The BC Greens are committed to take immediate action to house people who have recently become homeless. Utilizing the model of a ‘village-equivalent’, with wrap-around support, available in every township in B.C.
Addressing root causes
• The BC Greens’ plan to address homelessness begins with addressing factors that cause people to become homeless in the first place. Solutions include providing income, increasing the availability of deeply affordable housing, preventing adverse childhood experiences, and providing rental subsidies for people who are unable to meet their rent payments.
• Working to care for those made vulnerable by circumstance, we will provide a six-month minimum of direct support (with access to ongoing support) for people leaving hospitals and incarceration, and youth aging out of the care system.
Minding the poverty line
• The BC Greens will transform the province’s income support system, drawing on the BC Basic Income Panel’s recommendations, including raising social and disability assistance rates to the poverty line.