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By Liam Verster

Using Surplus Provincial & Federal Lands

Vernon shares land-use plan for housing with province

Oct 3, 2025 | 10:40 AM

The City of Vernon has advocated for more housing in the community.

The city said the Mayor and Councillors attending the Union of B.C. Municipalities’ (UBCM) Convention were able to meet with Christine Boyle, Provincial Minister of Housing and Municipal Affairs, where they presented a report from Vernon’s Non-Market Housing Land Task Force.

“The mandate of the Lands Task Force was to connect with decision makers at both the provincial and federal levels following the recent announcements that surplus government lands in B.C. communities will be considered for housing projects,” Mayor Victor Cumming said in a release.

“The UBCM Convention provided Vernon with the access we needed to share our housing package and engage directly with those driving policy.”

The package recommending surplus provincial and federal lands be considered for housing projects was also sent to Gregor Robertson, Federal Minister of Housing and Infrastructure.

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The city said housing was primarily a provincial and federal matter, though they remained committed to working collaboratively with the upper levels of government to address the housing shortage as it was affecting local residents, the economy, and the overall community well-being.

The City of Vernon also stated the Mayor and Council all agreed that housing is a human right, and that the city would “continue to follow up on opportunities for housing collaborations to achieve further results for Vernon residents.