Vital Conversation “How can we afford to live here?” brings together panel to address affordability in Greater Victoria
Victoria, B.C. – Families are feeling the pinch of rising prices, from housing to groceries. The Victoria Foundation in partnership with Coast Capital brought together experts for a Vital Conversation centered on an important question: How can we afford to live here? The Vital Conversation was part of the Rising Economy 2022 conference produced by the South Island Prosperity Partnership.
“Cost of living and housing were identified as the top issues to address in Greater Victoria through the 2022 Vital Signs report,” says Sandra Richardson, Victoria Foundation CEO. “By bringing together experts from across our region, we hope this Vital Conversation can spur conversation and action to address affordability in our region.”
The event came on the heels of the Victoria Foundation releasing Victoria’s 2022 Vital Signs program and included information from the report and the data platform. The annual program helps measure the vitality of our region and identify concerns, while supporting action on issues critical to our quality of life. In the 2022 report, Housing was the first issue area to receive a letter grade of F in the history of Victoria’s Vital Signs.
The panel featured guest speakers from Greater Victoria organizations that witness and work with the impacts of risings costs in the community. The online panel, moderated by Capital Daily’s managing editor Jimmy Thomson, featured:
- Kelly Greenwall – executive director, Quadra Village Community Centre
- Diana Gibson – executive director, Community Social Planning Council of Greater Victoria
- Sylvia Ceacero – executive director, Greater Victoria Coalition to End Homelessness
- Kara Udell – executive director, Capital Region Food Share Network
“The Victoria Foundation and South Island Prosperity Partnership each share a deep commitment to quality of life in the Greater Victoria region,” says SIPP CEO Emilie de Rosenroll. “That’s why we decided to unite at Rising Economy 2022 to present the “How can we afford to live here?” panel. It’s essential that we are collaborative in our search of solutions that will benefit this generation and the generations to come.”
The panel was part of SIPP’s 2022 Rising Economy Conference, running November 15 to 17. The conference brought together leading thinkers from the business, government, and non-profit sectors to engage in conversations about how our region and the world will meet the challenges of the 21st century. The conference featured a curated selection of in-person and online events designed to shape the future of our economy by design, not by default.
The Vital Conversation “How can we afford to live here?” was presented by Coast Capital and was free to attend. The panel took place on Thursday, November 17 from 9:30 AM to 10:30 AM.
