BC Housing is working with the Province of BC, BC's health authorities, the BC Centre for Disease Control, the Public Health Agency of Canada, and other partners to monitor COVID-19 and will continue to support the non-profit housing sector during BC’s Restart Plan.
For the latest information visit: BC's Restart: A plan to bring us back together - Province of British Columbia (gov.bc.ca)
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BC Housing is working with the Province of BC, BC's health authorities, the BC Centre for Disease Control, the Public Health Agency of Canada, and other partners to monitor COVID-19.
Here are some highlights of the work that BC Housing staff and partners have successfully implemented:
BC Temporary Rental Supplement program (April - August 2020)
- Developed a new BC Temporary Rental Supplement (BCTRS) program, and received and processed supplements for more than 98,800 households
- More than 87,000 households were eligible and received the rental supplement
- More than 370,000 rent payments made
Community supports for people experiencing homelessness
- 600+ people relocated from tented parks into safe, stable accommodation - Province secures safe shelter, supports for people living in major encampments
- 119 sites and more than 2900 safe self-isolation spaces made available for people experiencing homelessness
Supporting housing providers and BC Housing tenants
- Created COVID-19 safety processes for buildings operated by non-profit housing providers, shelters and other temporary housing
- Kept non-profit service providers going with payments for staffing and other operating costs
- Streamlined PPE, office and cleaning supply inventories by developing a one-stop station for buying, shipping and getting supplies needed by frontline providers
- 840,000+ essential supplies delivered including personal protective equipment (PPE)
- Thousand of hand-sewn masks for people living in social housing
Supporting BC Housing staff and visitors
- Educated employees by launching an employee Covid-19 educational intranet site
- Closed offices and moved more than 350 BC Housing staff to remote online service delivery: Closing some in-person services
- Distributed COVID-19 safety posters to all BC Housing-managed buildings and offices
How we are supporting our BC Housing tenants?
- Supports and resources for Housing Providers
- Temporary rent adjustment for Rent-Geared-to-Income tenants
- Started a rent abatement program for subsidized BC Housing tenants, and worked with the Residential Tenancy Branch of BC to create policies to help other renters
- 200,000+ meals delivered to people in social housing
- Closed public offices, where possible, moved service delivery online
- Temporary eviction ban for non-payment of rent in BC Housing-funded buildings