The mayor of Cumberland is calling on the provincial government to reverse its decision to suspend a key affordable housing program, warning the move puts a long-planned local project at risk.

In a letter issued this week, Mayor Vicky Brown urged Housing Minister Christine Boyle to reinstate funding through the Community Housing Fund, which has supported non-market housing projects across B.C.

The province had issued a call for proposals for the fund last year, but after releasing the budget, announced the program would be paused, leaving many communities uncertain about projects already in development.

Brown says the decision has been frustrating for the Village, which has spent years preparing a “shovel-ready” affordable housing project in partnership with Island Health.

The proposal includes units for health care workers and was planned for land owned by the health authority.

According to the mayor, the municipality and its partners have invested hundreds of hours and hundreds of thousands of dollars into the project, including public engagement and planning work.

Cumberland has also submitted three separate applications to the fund.

Cumberland, with a population under 5 thousand, has seen housing costs rise sharply, increasing by 54-percent between the last two census periods.

Brown says the impact is being felt across the community, with employers struggling to retain workers, and more residents facing housing insecurity, some living in vehicles or without shelter.

She says small communities like Cumberland don’t have the density needed to attract market-based developers to build affordable units, making provincial programs like the Community Housing Fund essential.

There is also concern about timing.

The agreement with Island Health is set to expire if construction does not begin by 2027, putting additional pressure on the project’s future.

Brown says with economic conditions tightening, investment in affordable housing is more important than ever - not only to support vulnerable residents, but also to create jobs and strengthen communities.