This summer, The Narwhal launched Habitat, a solutions-focused series exploring the intersections of the housing crisis and the climate crisis in British Columbia. Like pretty much everywhere else in Canada, B.C. is grappling with a shortage of affordable, safe and resilient housing, as well as the increasingly extreme effects of a warming planet: heavy floods, deadly heat waves and serious droughts. 

Is it possible to address these two massive, complicated challenges together? We looked for solutions and ideas in communities across the province — and on Tuesday, we hosted Housing and the Climate Connection, a webinar to share some of what we learned during our reporting. It featured: 

• Steph Kwetásel’wet Wood, B.C. reporter, who discussed the housing vision of the Heiltsuk Nation and a Tsilhqot’in housing prototype designed to withstand wildfire season
• Shannon Waters, B.C. politics and environment reporter, who talked about the costs of rebuilding after disaster and the non-profits building resilient, affordable homes
• Michelle Cyca, bureau chief of conservation and fellowships, moderated the discussion

More than 300 people joined us for that discussion, and many of them had great questions of their own. Over 100, in fact, which meant we couldn’t get to all of them! But we thought we would round up some of those great questions (and our answers).

You can also read all the stories in our Habitat series, or just start by diving right into the questions below. (Those discussed in the call have been condensed and edited — watch the recording to hear the full answers from Steph and Shannon.)

How do you make housing adaptable to climate change (floods, wildfires, etc.)?

This looks different in every community, but some interesting solutions are found in Shannon’s reporting on social housing in New Westminster, B.C. Two key elements of energy-efficient and climate-adapted homes are good air quality and temperature control, which protect residents from the impacts of things like wildfire smoke and extreme heat. Her story also looks at examples of retrofitting old buildings to improve heating and cooling systems, which can be done in some cases without temporarily displacing residents.

For mitigating more extreme risks, Steph’s reporting on a wildfire-resistant prototype home built for the B.C. Interior considers the materials, landscaping and design elements that can withstand flames and extreme temperatures. — Michelle

How can we make housing more climate-friendly and accessible, especially for those who can’t easily move or renovate?

Look at what’s available in your area! There’s a variety of programs and rebates at the local, provincial and national level. Even as a renter, knowing what’s available in your area and what you can push for at the local government level is something tangible you can do. While some of the FireSmart and flood mitigation technologies are more expensive, many are more approachable. (For more on this, read Chloe Williams’ reporting on FireSmart recommendations.) Using your voice to advocate for these issues in front of local government is also an effective tool. — Steph

One more suggestion on this point: tapping social resources! Writer Mandy Len Catron considered the critical role of neighbours and communities in preparing for climate change. It’s not a fight we have to wage alone. — Michelle

What role do policymakers have in supporting tenants, homeowners and builders with the costs of building new resilient homes and retrofitting existing ones? Who pays for those incremental cost increases, when the energy savings only kick in over the long term? 

There’s no simple answer there. The provincial government has a larger tax base than local governments; the federal government has an order of magnitude higher, so that’s one way of measuring that responsibility. One thing to consider is that we have a tremendous amount of financial inequity in our society, so even if everyone pays the same amount, it has very different impacts on Canadians with different incomes. Another inequity is renting versus owning; in B.C., the province recently expanded eligibility for heat pumps in rental buildings, but the landlord has to permit it, and they get the rebate and retain the heat pump when the tenant moves out. That’s another tricky thing to navigate. So — it’s an important question to ask, and an important discussion to have. — Shannon

How do we keep the conversation with our neighbours and politicians focused on climate when everyone is so desperate for housing?

It needs to be an “and” conversation, not an “either or” conversation. One thing we see a lot is governments talking about constraints — costs, time — and while those are real challenges that have to be met, our climate resilience policies and housing policies are interconnected. We need to push back on the idea that we can only have one or the other — climate action or housing. We have to remind elected officials that we need to have climate-resilient housing and we also need it to be affordable and accessible, otherwise we won’t address the housing crisis, and we could risk making it worse. — Shannon

Everyone feels an urgency when it comes to protecting their homes and accessing safe housing — whether you’re an owner and you’re worried about the biggest investment in your life, or you’re a renter and you’re worried about your housing security. You may face extreme weather and disasters no matter your situation. When these conversations come up, bring in those connections: if the discussion is insurance, consider the impacts of disasters on insurance claims. If it’s density, talk about the effects of urban sprawl on ecosystems. These are related to affordability and safety — and we know that’s something everyone cares about. Everyone feels deeply about their homes, so when reporting we try to keep that at the heart of these stories. — Steph

What is one thing I can do today to address this issue? 

Building social connections and sharing information with one another. You can see in the chat that people have a ton of local knowledge about where they live! Also, something people brought up in the reporting was the desire for self-sufficiency — gaining the skills and resources to build things locally, particularly after COVID-19 underscored the vulnerabilities in our supply chains. So, finding out what’s in your backyard, and thinking about how you can be a part of building those things too. — Steph

As a renter in Victoria who moved recently, something we’ve been doing is looking at getting the doors sealed, for instance — because we can see light underneath, which is not a sign of a well-sealed home! We’re looking at window coverings, we installed a rain barrel — it’s very empowering, as an individual, to know you can take these steps without that much effort or expense. And knowing that if you and your neighbours nearby and across the country take these steps, it really will make a difference. — Shannon

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