Government to Transfer Supportive Housing Agencies to Community Health 

I am writing to you today to inform you of a big first step our province is taking to start fixing BC's supportive housing sector - an initiative that's long overdue. 

On Thursday June 12, 2025 the Public Sector Employers' Council (PSEC) informed 39 agencies - your employers - that they will be moving into the Health Employers' Association of British Columbia (HEABC). You are receiving this email because you are an employee of one of these agencies. 

Through this process, you and about 3,200 other supportive housing workers across five different unions will move from the social services sector to the health sector. This is the first time supportive housing workers will be joining forces under one collective agreement.

Between decades of underfunding and a patchwork of collective agreements – both legacies of governments past – insufficient pay, and inequities across employers, has seriously botched the province's supportive housing services, and frontline workers like you are bearing the cost. 

Our union has long advocated for supportive housing workers to be together in the same collective agreement because of the community of interest you share. This move is the first major step towards that goal and building the bargaining power you need to advance equal pay for equal work and collective agreements that reflect the specialized work you do. 

We understand that you will have many questions as to how this may impact you and your coworkers. Our union will be working diligently on the transition – please know that this process will take time, and we will be communicating with you on a regular basis. 

In the interim, you remain well represented and covered under your existing collective agreement. We will provide more details, including anticipated effective dates, in the coming months. 

In solidarity, 

Paul Finch, BCGEU President