New board members appointed to BC Housing include YouTuber

About Here's Uytae Lee (Government of BC)

The provincial government announced today it has made four new appointments to the board of commissioners overseeing BC Housing.

According to a release, the new members will help support the expansion and improve the oversight of the provincial crown corporation responsible for generating affordable housing.

This includes the appointment of Uytae Lee, who is best known for his “About Here” YouTube channel discussing local urban planning and design issues.

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Jackee Kasandy, who previously held key roles with BC Lottery Corporation and BC Ferries, is also amongst the board’s new members, along with Robert Brown, who founded Catalyst Community Developments Society, which has developed over 1,000 below-market rental homes over the past decade.

Another new member is X’staam Hana’ax, Nicole Halbauer, who is a member of the Tsimshian Nation, Ganhada (Raven) Clan, of Kitsumkalum. She was most recently the interim director of the Terrace Women’s Resource Centre.

“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,” said Ravi Kahlon, the BC minister of housing, 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.”

In total, there are 10 members on BC Housing’s board of commissioners, with the new members joining existing members Allan Seckel, Russ Jones, Jill Kot, Mark Sieben, Sheila Taylor, and Clifford White.

“BC Housing has experienced substantial change in the last year, and there will be even more ahead as we continue to strengthen organizational structure and capacity, financial systems, governance practices, and processes and policies,” said Allan Seckel, who is the chair of the board.

“Having these new members join the board will bring perspectives from communities, helping ensure we are successful in delivering on the Province’s ambitious housing plans at this crucial time.”

Since Summer 2022, there have been major reforms and changes in the leadership at BC Housing in response to the findings of independent investigations commissioned by the provincial government, particularly in relation to its previous relationship with non-profit housing operator Atira Women’s Resource Society.

BC Housing is also tasked with a growing budget to execute the provincial government’s expanded affordable housing strategies.

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