Columbia Valley Housing Society
Enabling residents to create a secure home
and work in the Columbia Valley
Why a Housing Society?
In late 2021, The Columbia Valley Chamber of Commerce conducted a survey seeking to establish the most common reasons for an extreme labour shortage.
Ranked amongst the highest reasons was lack of housing.
The Chamber of Commerce felt compelled to do something so it formed a housing subcommittee through our board of directors, allowing staff time to look into possible solutions. Some of those solutions included:
- Hosting a workshop with Generation Homes and businesses on the possibility of building staff accommodation
- Hosting a workshop with Columbia Valley Law on the intricacies of staff accommodation tenancy agreements
- Explored dorm, camp style housing options for the summer of 2022 in Radium Hot Springs
- We spoke with several organizations throughout the province to learn what they already knew about housing
After hours of research, it became apparent that operating a housing entity did not fit into the Chamber of Commerce mandate or scope, thus we knew we had to form a new society. Before doing that, we invited representatives from all local government to a meeting, as it is much more common for housing authorities to be owned by local governments. Everyone agreed it made sense for one umbrella organization to do the work, rather than everyone work on it individually. We also met with other local and regional organizations to discuss their housing projects and to prevent duplication of work.
With advice from a housing development consultant, we knew we needed a board that would give specific experience needed when the time comes to apply for funding. Every person we invited to be on the board said yes without hesitation.
Forming the Society
In June 2022 the Columbia Valley Housing Society was formed.
Our current board members are Kyla Lam, Adrian Bergles, Caitlin Hall-Sharp, Gerry Taft, Richard Haworth, and Jeff Martin. We cannot thank them enough for the experience, knowledge and time they bring to the society.
The Columbia Valley Housing Society’s mission is clear, to own and manage housing that results in opportunities for living and employment in the Columbia Valley.
As the society becomes more established, there will be more information available on how the public can get involved. If you have any questions in the meantime, please reach out to us via email at housing@cvchamber.ca.
Formation of the Columbia Valley Housing Society has been supported by The Columbia Valley Chamber of Commerce, Columbia Valley Community Economic Development, and Tourism Radium.
