Today at its Annual General Meeting the Greater Victoria Coalition to End Homelessness will appoint Jeff Bray, Executive Director of the Downtown Victoria Business Association as the board’s Community Co-Chair. Bray will replace outgoing Co-Chair Ian Batey who has served a three-year term in the role.
“I want to thank Ian for his three years of dedicated service to our community. And I’d like to welcome Jeff aboard,” said Coalition Co-Chair Mayor Lisa Helps. “It’s terrific to have such a community-minded business leader to co-lead the Coalition for the next three years.”
Bray has served as the Chair of the Community Engagement and Communications Committee for the past two years and will be now be stepping into a larger leadership role with the Coalition.
“It was an honour to be approached and I look forward to serving in this role,” said Bray. “Homelessness is something that affects us all from people sheltering in doorways to the small business owner coming through that same doorway in the morning. The Coalition is doing a good job with proactive solutions and I’m happy to take more of a leadership role in the organization.”
Although there are many housing units renting at $375 per month under construction in the region through the Regional Housing First Program and other BC Housing funded programs, they are not built yet; many of the region’s most marginalized residents are still sheltering out of doors. The Coalition is working in a bottom-up, grassroots way to address homelessness and develops an annual Community Plan to ensure the funding available meets the greatest needs in the community.
“Having Jeff join our board will keep us well-connected with the business community so we can continue to address the issue of homelessness together,” said Kelly Roth, Coalition Executive Director. “When it comes to solving homelessness there is not ‘us and them’; we’re all it in together and Jeff understands this.”
Since its inception, the Greater Victoria Coalition to End Homelessness has been co-chaired by the Mayor of Victoria and a leader from the business community.
The Coalition’s AGM will be held today from 12-1:30 at the Mary Winnspear Centre in Sidney.
