Fair Economy Initiatives – Community Social Planning Council

Climate Change and Climate Equity

Climate Change and Climate Equity: What We Heard – Climate Impacts, Adaptation, and Resilience in Victoria explores how climate change affects equity-deserving communities across the city and how inclusive planning can strengthen resilience for everyone. Led by the Community Social Planning Council (CSPC) in partnership with the City of Victoria, the two-year Climate Equity by Design project gathered insights from Indigenous peoples, low-income residents, racialized communities, 2SLGBTQ+ individuals, newcomers, unhoused people, and persons with disabilities. Through surveys, public engagements, and community conversations, participants shared firsthand experiences of extreme heat, housing insecurity, food access challenges, and the systemic barriers that limit their ability to adapt.

The report highlights the moral and practical need to embed equity in climate adaptation—from designing accessible public infrastructure and culturally safe services to supporting community-led initiatives and Indigenous self-determination. Its recommendations call for governance structures that centre lived experience, targeted investments in vulnerable neighbourhoods, and measurable indicators to track progress toward a fair, resilient, and climate-ready Victoria.

Report

Local Government Levers for Housing Affordability

As we navigate in an era marked by a nation-wide housing crisis, all levels of government are under pressure to address the challenge, although local governments are on the front lines. Municipalities also hold a pivotal role in orchestrating the changes needed to address the affordability challenges facing Canadian cities. This toolkit outlines the many levers within municipal control that can significantly influence housing supply and affordability.

This toolkit is intended to help local governments across Canada, big and small, to understand and utilize all of the tools available to improve housing affordability by:

• providing an overview of tools and their municipal context;
• identifying success factors and key considerations for each of the tools; and
• sharing case studies and best practices that highlight successes in implementing the tools in a range of municipal contexts and for a diversity of housing types.

The optimal use of these municipal tools can change the trajectory of our current housing situation, creating a better future for housing availability and affordability.

Read The Toolkit

Family Day Factsheet: No Family Left Behind 2024

As part of the Happiness and Wellbeing Lab project, the United Way South Vancouver Island and Community Council release an annual family day fact sheet. The fact sheet brings awareness that even though we may all be in the same storm, we are not all in the same boat. As we celebrate this BC Family Day, let's make sure that No Family Gets Left Behind.

Read The Report

Let’s Talk Urban Living With Uytae Lee

Let's Talk Urban Living With Uytae Lee

Join us for an exciting evening as we host our Annual General Meeting and then dive into the world of urban living and civic storytelling with Uytae Lee of popular urbanist YouTube channel About Here. He'll kick off with some Victoria area trivia before exploring topics ranging from housing to transit and beyond, promising an engaging dialogue on the facets that shape our urban experience.

Timing

5:00-5:30pm: AGM, all welcome — if you'd like to sign up as a member to the CSPC, click here.

5:30-6:00pm: Mingling, food and beverages available for purchase — we're pleased to have Maiiz Nixtamal on-site selling fresh tamales, street corn, and chips and salsa!

6:00-7:00pm: Uytae Lee

Venue: Victoria Event Centre, 1415 Broad St, Victoria, BC V8W 2B2

Grab your friends and come join us for a fun-filled evening of captivating stories, great food, and exciting discussions.

About Uytae Lee

Uytae Lee is a columnist and filmmaker whose work covers the complex issues surrounding our cities. He’s the creator of the CBC series ‘Stories About Here’, where he explores topics such as underground streams, zoning reform, public washrooms, street-food, and much much more. In addition to his CBC series, Uytae also produces urban planning documentaries for his own YouTube channel About Here.

Learning From London: Homelessness Hubs + Whole Of Community Response

Join the Community Social Planning Council and the United Way Southern Vancouver Island for an informative, inspiring discussion with leaders in London about their Whole of Community System Response to the homelessness crisis. A regional cross-sector response panel will follow.

With the support of the Fund For Change, a collective of community experts across sectors designed a system response that is first of its kind in Ontario. That group included more than 200 individuals representing nearly 70 local organizations in community health and social services, institutional healthcare, education, emergency services, business and economic development, land and housing development and multiple levels of government. One feature of this response includes a new network of hubs offering comprehensive services to help the most marginalized unhoused Londoners move safely indoors, stabilize, access supports and become sustainably housed.

Speakers

Lynne Livingstone — City Manager of London

Kevin Dickins — Deputy City Manager of London, Social and Health Development

Diane Silva — Director of Philanthropy, London Community Foundation

Steve Cordes — Executive Director, Youth Opportunities Unlimited (hub operator)

Thank you Coastal Community Credit Union!

Facilitating Dialogue Around Affordability

We'd like to say a special thank you to Coastal Community Credit Union (CCCU) for their support of our events dedicated to enhancing affordability across the region. We are grateful to be able to host events through our collaborative regional household affordability and prosperity (RHAP) project, in partnership with local municipalities.

This project aims to share and cultivate best practices in housing affordability and recently published a toolkit on municipal levers for housing affordability, with support from the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC). To delve deeper into this project, please click here.

Additionally, we actively contribute to the affordability dialogue through our work on the living wage calculation. Discover more about our efforts and impact by exploring the details here.

Coastal Community Credit Union

As a key supporter, Coastal Community Credit Union, the largest Vancouver Island-based financial services organization, stands among the top ten percent of credit unions in Canada by asset size. Noteworthy among their innovations is the introduction of Interactive Teller Machines (ITM) to Vancouver Island.

A testament to CCCU's commitment to excellence, they recently celebrated their fifth consecutive year of being certified as a Great Place to Work, a recognition bestowed by their dedicated and valued employees. Visit their website to learn more.

Building Housing Affordability: Levers for Canadian Municipalities

*This event is for municipal councillors and planners. Please register with your municipal email (ie. planner@city.ca). Personal email addresses may be removed from our registration list to ensure privacy.*

Municipalities are at the forefront of the affordability challenges facing Canadian cities. Join us for a solutions-focused conversation with guest presenters and speakers from across the country.

The Community Social Planning Council of Greater Victoria is pleased to convene a dialogue with municipal leaders from across Canada on their new toolkit, Local Government Levers for Housing Affordability, which received funding from the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC). Read the Toolkit

The launch of this toolkit marks a significant step towards a more optimistic future for housing availability and affordability in Canada. By recognizing the vital role of municipalities and providing them with the necessary tools and knowledge, we can collectively address our housing crisis.

This event will feature solutions and insights from municipal councillors and planners who are at the forefront of housing affordability innovation across the country, and will be moderated by the CSPC's Executive Director Diana Gibson. There will be time for an audience Q&A, as well as additional time from 1:00-1:30pm for continued dialogue after the facilitated programming has ended.

Thriving Victoria: Living Wage & Affordability Summit

Join us on November 8th from 8:00 AM to 12:00 PM for the official launch of the Living Wage across BC. This gathering is a convergence of impassioned stakeholders committed to advocating for a fair living wage. We invite employers and employees dedicated to this cause, policymakers including MLAs, MPPs, councillors, and their teams, as well as representatives from unions, businesses, and community organizations. The event will feature a panel response and living wage presentation.

Let's come together to delve into critical conversations, drive change, and collectively work towards fostering a society where a fair living wage is not just a vision but a reality. Your presence and insights are vital as we unite for a brighter, equitable future. Food and refreshments will be available. Mark your calendars for this significant event!

This event is part of the CSPC's Happiness and Wellbeing Lab in partnership with the United Way.

CEA Energy & Climate Action Award

We are thrilled and deeply honored to receive the Climate and Energy Action award from the Community Energy Association (CEA) for our groundbreaking E-Bike Incentive Pilot Program. This recognition would not have been possible without the unwavering support and collaboration of our outstanding partners and funders: the District of Saanich, The University of British Columbia, and the Vancouver Foundation.

A Collective Vision for a Greener and More Equitable Future

At the core of our success lies a shared vision and a strong commitment to sustainable, eco-friendly transportation while ensuring equity and accessibility for all. We recognize that sustainable solutions must be inclusive and address the specific needs of all families, especially those in low-income. The support of our partners has been instrumental in driving this vision forward and turning it into a reality that benefits our community and beyond. We stand united in our dedication to reducing carbon emissions and promoting accessible, sustainable mobility solutions.

Paving the Way for a Provincial Program

One of the most gratifying outcomes of our pilot program is the influence it has had on policy at a provincial level, with a strong equity lens. This initiative, which focuses on providing rebates based on income qualifications, has acted as a model for a wider provincial program emphasizing equity, with the goal of empowering families and individuals.

We extend our heartfelt thanks to the Community Energy Association (CEA) for recognizing our dedication and honoring us and our partners with this award. The accolade is not just a testament to our efforts but also a celebration of the remarkable collaboration that has propelled our initiative to success. We remain steadfast in our commitment to a sustainable and equitable future and look forward to continued collaboration with our partners and funders in achieving greater milestones. Together, we will continue to make a positive impact and inspire change.

Author(s):

CSPC Team

The climate crisis effects everyone, but it does not impact everyone equally. That's where we come in. Click below to learn more about the E-bike program and our work in the Climate Equity space!

Climate Equity