Former Victoria mayor appointed as housing adviser for B.C. government

Former Victoria Mayor Lisa Helps has been appointed as B.C. Premier David Eby’s new adviser on housing.

Helps will work with Housing Minister Ravi Kahlon, housing stakeholders and partners to help develop the province’s B.C. Builds program, an initiative to build housing for middle-income families, individuals and seniors.

Helps, a strong advocate of affordable housing, was elected in 2011 and served two terms but decided not to run in the 2022 municipal election.

Eby, in a news release, said many people in the province struggle to find housing, even if they earn a good income. Helps will use her years of leadership to help work on innovative solutions to make it easier for people to find a good place to live in their communities, he said.

Helps’ appointment as a special adviser on housing comes after Dr. Penny Ballem was named the premier’s health systems specialist and Doug White was named the special counsel to the premier on Indigenous reconciliation.