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jfatkey.bsky.social
Jill Atkey
@jfatkey.bsky.social
1.2K followers 180 following 54 posts
Housing advocate by day and night. CEO at BCNPHA, Director at Rental Protection Fund, Community Housing Transformation Centre, Boann Social Impact, Community Housing Coverage, and Chartered Institute of Housing Canada.
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jfatkey.bsky.social
Jill Atkey @jfatkey.bsky.social · 13h
Our non-profit organization spent many thousands of dollars complying with Elections BC laws to run a non-partisan campaign.

A local bazillionaire was fined $600 for ignoring the law.

Cool. 😎

www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...
Billionaire Chip Wilson fined $600 for unauthorized election sign targeting B.C. NDP | CBC News
Elections B.C. says three signs Lululemon founder Chip Wilson put up in front of his Vancouver home during the 2024 provincial election period, including one that called the B.C. NDP "communist," cons...
www.cbc.ca
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jfatkey.bsky.social
Jill Atkey @jfatkey.bsky.social · 29d
Spot on. 👇

“I would also say, however, that focusing on immigrants is an easy way, to be totally frank, to turn the attention away from deep structural problems such as a lack of affordable housing," Irene Bloemraad said.

www.thecanadianpressnews.ca/business/exp...
Expert 'taken aback' by Eby foreign worker claims, says axing program won't fix woes
VICTORIA - Ending the temporary foreign worker program won't solve "deep structural problems" with housing and other issues in British Columbia, while it would create "problematic consequences" for la...
www.thecanadianpressnews.ca
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jfatkey.bsky.social
Jill Atkey @jfatkey.bsky.social · Jul 18
Hang on. I can build a detached house anywhere even if it doesn’t suit the character of the neighbourhood?! 😉
jwhiteyvr.bsky.social
Josh White @jwhiteyvr.bsky.social · Jul 18
At the City of Vancouver we committed to a path to simplify our regulatory environment, streamline our policy, increasing certainty in our process, and getting to faster approvals to enable housing…

storeys.com/vancouver-st...
Vancouver To Transform Development Process With Standardized Residential Zones
The changes proposed by the City of Vancouver would set default heights and densities for different residential zoning districts and streamline the development process.
storeys.com
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jfatkey.bsky.social
Jill Atkey @jfatkey.bsky.social · Jul 16
It's not strong logic, but at least slightly more logical than any other interpretation in this head scratching decision.

And yes, it's difficult not to read more into the decision.
jfatkey.bsky.social
Jill Atkey @jfatkey.bsky.social · Jul 16
When something defies any definition of logic, people are left to wonder if there might be some other reason for opposing these homes. 🤔
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jfatkey.bsky.social
Jill Atkey @jfatkey.bsky.social · Jul 16
Full story: tricitiesdispatch.com/residents-di...
Housing for residents with disabilities put on hold due to lack of parking – Tri-Cities Dispatch
An affordable rental project for residents living with mental illness failed to cross the finish line in Port Coquitlam council chambers recently, with
tricitiesdispatch.com
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jfatkey.bsky.social
Jill Atkey @jfatkey.bsky.social · Jul 16
With respect, something is very broken if this statement carries any logic.

Somehow there is municipal revenue to be gained by paying $40K per stall to construct unused parking?

Also, municipal and provincial taxpayers are the same people.

And don’t get me started on the cost of homelessness.
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jfatkey.bsky.social
Jill Atkey @jfatkey.bsky.social · Jun 13
I don’t think I’ll ever understand why people hate housing so much.
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jfatkey.bsky.social
Jill Atkey @jfatkey.bsky.social · May 28
Reversing course on the Arbutus supportive housing development isn't a surprise given Council's actions in recent months.

Here were the Mayor's words in January. If this actually the plan, it would seem appropriate for the City to double down on supportive housing city-wide. So what is the plan?
On updating the Downtown Eastside Area Plan, the Mayor said: "this allows for the integration of the DTES neighbourhood into Vancouver's broader community, ensuring a more balanced, supportive environment for residents, businesses, and visitors."
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jfatkey.bsky.social
Jill Atkey @jfatkey.bsky.social · Apr 29
If there is a lot more building going on and we continue to scale back on immigration targets the real pinch point for housing will be in construction labour. Skilled trades and training investments will be vital. We can expect a Liberal government with a new mandate to double down here.
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jfatkey.bsky.social
Jill Atkey @jfatkey.bsky.social · Apr 29
I’m not sure what their plans are for the Housing Accelerator Fund, but this may be a more direct way of getting funds to municipalities. If they end up moving away from the Accelerator Fund, expect the work that municipalities have been doing with these dollars to stop midstream.
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jfatkey.bsky.social
Jill Atkey @jfatkey.bsky.social · Apr 29
Development cost charges will come down. The big question with these charges is who will pay for necessary infrastructure. The Liberal platform cracks this nut with a commitment to making municipalities whole for the five years that these charges are reduced.
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jfatkey.bsky.social
Jill Atkey @jfatkey.bsky.social · Apr 29
$25B in financing for prefabricated home builders in Canada: a focus on Canadian technologies and resources is critical given the existential threat we face, and the pre-fab industry will invest in itself if they have certainty in their pipeline. This has the potential to help with scale.
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jfatkey.bsky.social
Jill Atkey @jfatkey.bsky.social · Apr 29
The loss of these incentives in the 1980s were a key ingredient for the rental housing crisis we see today. We’ve seen incentives in other forms over the last decade, but these are likely to be helpful nonetheless.
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jfatkey.bsky.social
Jill Atkey @jfatkey.bsky.social · Apr 29
The Liberals have committed to reintroducing incentives for purpose built rental and this is a good way of supporting the private sector to help government achieve its goals.
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jfatkey.bsky.social
Jill Atkey @jfatkey.bsky.social · Apr 29
I’d feel better about this commitment if non-profit and co-op housing providers were at the centre of it. The Federal government has increasingly been opening up their programs to the private sector with no protections for long-term affordability. This is where the NDP/GR/BQ can push the Liberals.
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jfatkey.bsky.social
Jill Atkey @jfatkey.bsky.social · Apr 29
$10B in low-cost financing and capital for affordable homes. A few thoughts on this one: The ratio of financing and capital is going to matter a lot. Financing matters, but it’s the capital that creates affordability on new projects. A look at what brings down rents on this project in Delta:
A bar graph and description showing that break-even rents for a new development are $1949 per month. Federal/provincial capital contributions totaling almost $11.5M and an annual operating subsidy bring the rents down to $1307 per month.
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jfatkey.bsky.social
Jill Atkey @jfatkey.bsky.social · Apr 29
A Federal government that’s in the business of building homes for the first time in generations. Big ticket commitments are critical to solving the crisis, but getting this machine up, running, and making a noticeable impact will take time. That time will be measured in years not months.
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jfatkey.bsky.social
Jill Atkey @jfatkey.bsky.social · Apr 29
Well that was a night 🫣

With the election now behind us, we now have some clarity and as always, new questions about how Federal housing policy will shape up in the years ahead. Some thoughts on what a new Liberal government will mean for housing: 👇
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jfatkey.bsky.social
Jill Atkey @jfatkey.bsky.social · Apr 25
Great news from Penticton! City council unanimously approved 10-year property tax exemptions on non-profit housing. Actions like these help reduce rents in new and existing affordable housing developments. 👍

pub-penticton.escribemeetings.com/filestream.a...
pub-penticton.escribemeetings.com
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jfatkey.bsky.social
Jill Atkey @jfatkey.bsky.social · Apr 24
Another building and 25 affordable homes move into the non-profit housing sector, where affordability can be protected in perpetuity. Congratulations Connective Support Society, @rentalprofund.bsky.social and the Province of BC 😃

cfjctoday.com/2025/04/23/c...
Connective Support Society with assistance from province and Rental Protection Fund help preserve 25 units of affordable housing
KAMLOOPS - Housing Minister Ravi Kahlon was in Kamloops on Wednesday to announce the safeguarding of affordabl...
cfjctoday.com
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jfatkey.bsky.social
Jill Atkey @jfatkey.bsky.social · Apr 24
“After all, isn’t it precisely when the world feels out of control that our need for the safety and security of home is felt most acutely?”
lesliboldt.bsky.social
Lesli Boldt @lesliboldt.bsky.social · Apr 23
Opinion: It's time for Ottawa to address the national housing crisis vancouversun.com/opinion/op-e... via @vancouversun.bsky.social from the unstoppable @thomarmstrong.bsky.social @jfatkey.bsky.social Margaret Phoh
Opinion: It's time for Ottawa to address the national housing crisis
In B.C. alone, Ottawa must invest $2.34 billion per year over the next decade — and there is more that the next federal government must do
vancouversun.com
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jfatkey.bsky.social
Jill Atkey @jfatkey.bsky.social · Apr 24
And that was just the first night!
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jfatkey.bsky.social
Jill Atkey @jfatkey.bsky.social · Apr 22
Yes.
bcheadlines.bsky.social
Local BC News Headlines - Curated by CivicInfo BC @bcheadlines.bsky.social · Apr 22
#DeltaBC - Surrey to provide land for housing, should Delta follow? www.delta-optimist.com/local-news/s...
Surrey to provide land for housing, should Delta follow?
Delta is going to undertake an inventory of potential city-owned lands that could be used for potential future housing project
www.delta-optimist.com
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jfatkey.bsky.social
Jill Atkey @jfatkey.bsky.social · Apr 9
I’ll miss your stories, but already looking forward to your next book. Congratulations Chris!