42nd & Grace

Finance Minister Brenda Bailey is predicting her upcoming budget will make her “the least popular person” in British Columbia. Premier David Eby has said: “Absolutely, we’ll be reducing spending in the next budget.”

Now, putting aside the small detail that NDP has blown through roughly $18 billion under the current premiership with many feeling like cost-of-living health care and public safety have not improved, where do we expect those cuts to come? How will that impact the myriad of services the province funds through non-profits?

The news is likely to be bad.

There’s three areas government can’t cut: health care (emergency room closures, waiting lists already getting worse), education (a new deal with BCTF has to be funded) and debt servicing costs (which have increased substantially over the past three years). Those are the biggest expenditures for government. There will be increases in spending in these areas – though cuts to some programs may come as the increase won’t meet demand.

So, the rest of government, will do the trimming. Don’t expect a whacking of whole ministries. It will be more subtle. Ministers and deputy ministers will have been tasked to find savings and efficiencies, a few million here and another few here and hopefully they add up to some substantial cost savings.

What this means is that valuable programs get sacrificed on the altar of fiscal responsibility, even though they are excellent value for money. Ask some of the OG BC Liberals about eliminating the provincial seniors’ bus pass in 2002 or the ‘bus pass clawback’ in 2016. They still bear the scars.

One program, worryingly, that may be on the chopping block is the B.C. Rent Bank. It’s funding runs out in the spring. If not in the budget this is the very definition of cutting of nose to spite your face.

The BC Rent Bank got $3 million from the province last year, cash that is essential to its operations. Other groups provide money to support local efforts, but the whole bank collapses without that central funding.

And that funding is such good value for dollar – fiscally and emotionally. Tired of seeing the rate of homelessness rise? Then let’s keep a program that helps bridge people through a tough stretch with interest free loans and provides a little dignity. It also prevents even higher costs to government for those people end up the on streets and then, often, incur mental health and addiction issues. Find out more on the BC Rent Bank and the local rent bank.

The BC Rent Bank may fall victim to the government’s need for efficiencies now and be damned how much it will end costing all of us down the road. So, some free advice for them.

Be Prepared: Have two releases/social media posts ready for Wednesday morning, the day after the budget. One thanking the province for its continued support of a program that keeps people housed and secure; one that expresses disappointment with the short-sightedness of slashing a program that returns $5 in savings for every dollar invested through reduced emergency shelter use, lower health care costs, and less disruption to children and communities.

Facts and emotion: This is not simple a ‘feel good’ story, it’s also good economics. Have all the data and stats. How you’ve stopped people from hitting the streets. How kids got to have a meal because parents don’t have to choose food over rent. And stats are good. But also have stories of real people. Show how these are hard working neighbours and friends and that many people are perilously close to needing the rent bank themselves.

Talk, a lot: Don’t be shy. Hector talk show hosts, send op/eds and chat up the opposition. Send letters to cabinet ministers and, most importantly, have validators. Ask the people who benefited from the program to write their own letters and tell their stories. And be prepared to have to work at it, as other groups are going to be just desperate.

Rebuttal: This important. Government is going to say it’s a cost-saving measure, these are tough times and British Columbians expect the province to get its fiscal house in order. True. But not providing the money will be wildly more money. That $3 million in savings would fund the health care system for less than an hour. If people fall into poverty, they’re going to cost a lot more.

Here’s hoping the BC Rent Bank gets its funding. If that happens, then another group that sees its funding eliminated can take these tips and use them.

The bottom line is very many non-profit organizations are going to have to be prepared to advocate for services as they face spending cuts that are the result of poor planning by others. And it may go against their instincts, but they’re going to have speak up to get the support they deserve.