New members named to B.C.’s housing board

VICTORIA — Four new members have been appointed to the BC Housing board of commissioners to help provide more housing options for people in British Columbia.

The announcement was made by Ravi Kahlon, minister of housing.

Robert Brown, X’staam Hana’ax, Jackee Kasandy and Uytae Lee will join the board, which oversees policy implementation and provides strategic guidance to BC Housing to help deliver on the government’s plan to create more sustainable, affordable housing for now and over the long term.

The new board members join current board chair Allan Seckel and members Russ Jones, Jill Kot, Mark Sieben, Sheila Taylor and Clifford White.

Brown has worked in real estate for more than 43 years. He has experience developing residential properties in Metro Vancouver and resort and hospitality development in Tofino. In 2013, he founded the Catalyst Community Developments Society which has developed more than 1,000 below-market rental homes.

X’staam Hana’ax, Nicole Halbauer is a member of the Tsimshian Nation, Ganhada (Raven) Clan, of Kitsumkalum. She most recently worked as interim director at the Terrace Women’s Resource Centre and previously as interim director for the Pacific Northwest Division of Family Practice.

Kasandy has more than 10 years of corporate experience, most recently with the BC Lottery Corporation and BC Ferries, where she helped launch the marketing division. She founded the Black Entrepreneurs and Businesses of Canada Society in 2020, which supports black-owned and person-of-colour entrepreneurs and business owners in Canada.

Lee has been producing videos for 10 years about issues facing cities today. He is the founder of Stories About Here, a creative studio and YouTube channel dedicated to helping people understand their cities better.

“We must continue to add strong and diverse new voices to the housing conversation so that we can identify new and innovative solutions to address the housing crisis,” Kahlon said in a statement. “These four individuals are community leaders who have been chosen based on their experience and track record delivering important services to their communities and the people who live in them. I look forward to working with them and sharing insights to deliver more homes for people.”