District of Squamish staff are proposing $580,000 in 2027 spending for bylaw enforcement, support for a BC Housing temporary housing program and a new community safety plan. These items are pending council endorsement and have not been approved. The proposal will be disucssed at a council meeting this Tuesday.
The requests appear in the 2027–2036 general fund budget report going to council on Tuesday, Sept. 29.
The largest ongoing request is $259,000 for two bylaw enforcement positions. Staff say the added capacity would help the District respond to complex issues involving encampments, homelessness and community safety.
A further $121,000 is proposed for costs associated with BC Housing’s Homeless and Encampment Response Temporary Housing, or HEARTH, program. According to the budget report, the money would cover expenses related to a site lease, cleanup and maintenance. A project description in the report says the housing site is likely to be on privately leased property; it does not identify a confirmed site.
Staff are also seeking $200,000 to develop a multi-year community safety plan. The proposed work would build on the District’s existing encampment response plan, identify gaps in services and set priorities for addressing street disorder, homelessness and community safety. Staff propose consulting Indigenous partners, community organizations, businesses, first responders, health providers and residents.
Together, the three requests would increase the District’s 2027 general tax revenue requirement by an estimated 1.1 percent, or about $35 for the average residential taxpayer, according to the report. That figure describes the budget estimate for these proposals; it is not the final change to any individual property tax bill.
Council is being asked to decide which proposed service changes and projects staff should include as they prepare the 2027–2036 financial plan. Inclusion at this stage would not amount to final adoption of the budget.
