A project to increase social connections in multifamily housing. Expansion of a university program that trains planning students in both Indigenous and western community planning practices. A partnership between a Real Estate Board and a social enterprise to renovate non-profit community spaces.

These examples are amongst the 15 projects approved by the Real Estate Foundation of BC last week. REFBC’s Board of Governors approved seven General Grants and eight Real Estate Industry Grants, for a total of nearly $1.3 million in grants to support land use and real estate projects in communities across BC.

The grants are listed alphabetically, and by intake stream, below.

General Grants:

BC Tomorrow for an interactive education tool to help students, teachers and residents understand the historic and future impacts of land use decisions and explore options for balancing human and ecological needs. ($31,500)

City of Kelowna to pilot a new “target-based” approach to area planning that will guide development and growth towards urban infill and containment while meeting community goals for healthy, vibrant, livable urban centres. ($40,000)

Fraser Basin Council for integrating environmental values into flood mitigation strategies for the Lower Mainland. ($117,000)

Gathering Voices Society to develop a First Nations Ecosystem Management Network (FN-ECONET) project, including an online library, pilot projects and a mentor bank. ($50,000)

Raincoast Conservation Foundation to foster cross-sector collaboration and engage Lower Mainland decision makers in habitat mapping, flood management planning and riparian conservation. ($30,000)

Vancouver Museum Society for work with the Happy City Lab to compile design guidelines and create a developer manual on features that enhance social wellbeing in multifamily buildings. ($49,200)

UBC School of Community and Regional Planning to scale up enrollment and geographic reach of the Indigenous Community Planning program. ($500,000)

Real Estate Industry Grants:

BC Northern Real Estate Board to cover costs for instructors to facilitate Continuing Professional Education (CPE) courses in remote locations. ($10,640)

BC Society of Landscape Architects for regulations, guidelines and resources on invasive species management, disclosure and liability for real estate and development. ($70,000)

Canada Green Building Council for benchmarks, training materials and policy recommendations to accelerate energy-efficiency retrofits of large buildings. ($72,500)

Kootenay Real Estate Board to cover costs for instructors to facilitate Continuing Professional Education (CPE) courses in remote locations. ($4,000)

Passive House Canada/Maisson Passive Canada for education and outreach on Passive House building design approaches and standards in Indigenous and Northern communities. ($27,390)

Real Estate Council of BC to develop and launch an accessible consumer education campaign on real estate processes, consumer protections and the role of real estate professionals. ($250,000)

Real Estate Institute of BC for a review of policies from around the world on non-resident property ownership of commercial and industrial land. ($11,250)

Victoria Real Estate Board for a community renovation program that assists Victoria non-profits with infrastructure renewal challenges. ($33,512)

The deadline for our next intake of General Grant applications is Sept. 6, 2017. For details, visit our grants page or contact Nick Davies, Grants Coordinator, at nick@refbc.com.