The Real Estate Foundation of BC’s Board of Governors has approved $2,104,312 in grants to support 29 projects. That total includes projects funded under our General Grants program ($1,236,108 | 11) as well as under our Real Estate Industry Grants program ($868,204 | 18).

REFBC grants help to fund research, education, and policy/law reform related to sustainable land use and real estate. To date, REFBC has awarded more than $80 million to support projects in communities across BC.

Spring 2018 grants are listed below.

General Grants

First Nations Fisheries Council will expand its Water for Fish initiative, which builds capacity for First Nations to lead on freshwater planning, management, and governance in their traditional territories. ($195,000)

The Nature Trust of British Columbia (TNTBC) will work with regional districts in the Kootenays to support conservation practices on private lands. NTBC will assess needs and gaps, create a central hub for conservation resources, and poll residents to gauge support for a Local Conservation Fund. ($55,000)

Okanagan Nation Alliance will engage community members and work with local governments across the Syilx territory to complete a flood risk assessment for the Okanagan Basin. ($20,000)

The Regional District of Kitimat-Stikine will partner with the UBC School of Community and Regional Planning to develop a community regional transportation strategy that helps residents access jobs, essential services, and recreational opportunities. ($50,000)

Renewable Cities, based out of the SFU Centre for Dialogue, will conduct research and modeling to demonstrate how community GHG emissions can be reduced through integrated land use and transportation planning. The research will be complemented by a multimedia communications and engagement strategy. ($150,000)

Vancouver Island University will create a Regional Initiatives Fund for research and projects led by communities. The program will pair community organizations with university researchers to pursue research or community-improvement activities relevant to land use and sustainability. ($250,000)

Waterlution will expand the Great Water Challenge program, which trains and empowers youth to lead workshops and webinars on watershed history, conservation, and stewardship. ($32,000)

West Kootenay Community EcoSociety will lead on community engagement, public education, and communications to garner support for local government commitments to transition to 100% renewable energy for transportation, buildings, waste management, and energy generation by 2050. ($74,000)

Windermere District Farmers Institute will complete the regional Farmland Advantage pilot, which enables farmers to access payments for ecosystem services provided, and develop a province-wide program. Farmers can receive funding to manage their land and watersheds in ways that better support the public good (habitat protection, water quality, flood mitigation). ($170,108)

Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative Foundation will identify and build support for land use planning, policies, and conservation designations to help protect and restore ecosystems and ensure habitat connectivity in the Peace region. ($130,000)

Yunesit’in Government (via Tides Canada Initiatives Society) will develop a land management plan for the Dasiqox Tribal Park, a proposed land, water, and wildlife management area in traditional Tshilqhot’in territory. ($110,000)

Real Estate Industry Grants

Category One:

BC Northern Real Estate Board will use funds to subsidize travel costs for delivering professional education programs for REALTORS® in remote areas. The Board will provide additional training and support to assist members with recent regulatory changes. ($10,725)

Kootenay Real Estate Board will use funds to subsidize travel costs for delivering professional education programs for REALTORS® in remote areas. The Board will also offer webinars and online courses. ($5,000)

Kootenay Real Estate Board will partner with Selkirk College to collate property-specific data (water licenses, power lines, septic systems, etc.) from local governments and community organizations into a new, widely accessible digital platform. Relevant data will be linked to KREB’s multiple listing service (MLS), which informs REALTORS® and buyers. ($40,000)

The Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver will commission a study on the effects of supply and demand on Metro Vancouver’s housing market. The study will model the impacts of adding supply, reducing permitting times, and other actions. ($56,000)

The Real Estate Institute of BC will conduct a review of global policies on non-resident property ownership of agricultural land. The research will be shared through a report, regional workshops, and policy briefings. ($10,500)

South Okanagan Real Estate Board will work with local partners to create a resource guide for residents and REALTORS® on climate resilience in the Okanagan. The guide will include information on drought and fire preparation, water conservation, shoreline protection, invasive species, and food security. ($60,000)

South Okanagan Real Estate Board will use funds to subsidize travel costs for delivering professional education programs for REALTORS® in remote areas. ($2,500)

Vancouver Island Real Estate Board will sponsor their members to attend the Leadership Vancouver Island program, which includes leadership training and coaching through applied work on community projects. ($24,400)

Vancouver Island Real Estate Board will expand the Real Estate Energy Efficiency Program (REEP), which trains REALTORS® on home energy labelling, rebate programs, and renovation options to improve efficiency. ($25,000)

Victoria Real Estate Board will create a half-day course, along with materials, to educate REALTORS® on secondary suite types, bylaws, and permits in the Capital Region District. ($12,850)

Category Two:

BC Non-Profit Housing Association will update and enhance the Canadian Rental Housing Index, an online tool for analyzing rental housing costs and needs by census area. BCNPHA will add 2016 census and homeless count data and will add reporting functionality. ($60,000)

BC Non-Profit Housing Association will develop an energy benchmarking program with online tools that enable non-profit housing providers to better understand their energy use and maintenance needs and create a business case for capital planning and asset management. ($244,576)

Canada Green Building Council will aim to increase uptake of energy benchmarking regulation by working with commercial building owners on an industry-led challenge to disclose and visualize energy data. ($56,000)

Canada Green Building Council will work in partnership with other non-profits to support research, education, and outreach that will build industry professionals and local governments capacity to improve energy efficiency and reduce carbon emissions in BC’s building stock. ($136,250)

LandlordBC will expand access to their Landlord Registry educational materials by translating course content to Punjabi and Mandarin. ($30,000)

Langara College will expand delivery of their Advanced Strata Management course, which covers legislation, regulations, and industry standards. Online delivery will support access for learners across BC. ($9,500)

Small Housing BC will convene builders, planners, researchers, policy makers and real estate professionals for a one-day summit on small housing. This will include sharing opportunities and challenges from the experiences of partnering municipalities who have explored small housing development options. ($61,500)

The Vancouver Regional Construction Association will conduct a needs assessment to plan education and training programs for the BC construction industry. The assessment will review changing codes and policies, best practices from other provinces, and an evaluation of current education offerings. ($23,403)

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Our next grant submission intake is for the General Grant stream. Applications are due September 6, 2018.

Our next intake of Real Estate Industry Grant applications is in December 2018. For details, visit our grants page or contact Noémi Pomerleau, Grants Coordinator, at noemi@refbc.com.