B.C. to restore housing aid to families with sick children in Vancouver hospitals
VICTORIA - The British Columbia government says it's working to reverse changes that slashed accommodation funding for out-of-town parents whose children received specialized hospital care in Vancouver.
Health Minister Josie Osborne says she has asked staff to review the family residence program after receiving criticism for changes to the program that became effective June 1.
Children's charity Variety, which administers the government-funded program, had recently announced that accommodation coverage was being reduced from 30 days per hospital visit to 15 days per calendar year.
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Osborne says there had been 'no reduction in base funding' for the program this year, but she understood Variety's costs had increased, requiring the changes.
She says she has directed the ministry to work with the Provincial Health Services Authority, Variety and others to ensure the restrictions are lifted as quickly as possible.
Premier David Eby says he was 'incredibly concerned' to hear about the changes.
The told an online news conference from South Korea, where he is wrapping up a trade mission, that the 'sole focus' of families should be on making sure their kids are getting better.
They 'should not be full of anxiety about how to access housing or accommodation for their family (in) one of the most expensive housing markets in the world, Vancouver.'
The program subsidizes accommodation for eligible families who live outside the Lower Mainland with children receiving treatment in Vancouver at BC Children's Hospital, Sunny Hill Health Centre, the BC Cancer Agency, or the neo-natal unit at BC Women's Hospital.
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Osborne had been asked about the changes on Friday and said the health ministry had received a mandate to review programs, adding that her ministry would do everything possible to assist families.
Reports about the cuts had sparked an outcry from the Opposition B.C. Conservatives, who blamed the government for the 'disgusting' cuts.
'It's unconscionable to place this financial burden on families already enduring unimaginable stress,' Opposition Critic for Health Anna Kindy had said in a news release on Monday before the government announced the policy reversal.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 9, 2025.
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