'I no longer have confidence': BC Housing CEO stepping down, citing recent violence against homeless
BC Housing CEO Shayne Ramsey is stepping down from the organization, saying he no longer has confidence he can "solve the complex problems facing us at BC Housing."
Ramsey's announcement comes just a week after several homeless people were shot and killed in Langley, B.C., and after a woman living on the street was set on fire in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside.
Ramsey says these incidents, and several others, have caused him to "lay awake at night."
He noted that last week, he was "swarmed by opponents and threatened with physical violence" following a media appearance, and that he has been advised that the incident could constitute assault.
"I think the shooting on Hastings Street, surrounded by the encampment and during another heat wave, finally did it for me," he said in a statement Tuesday.
"I no longer have confidence I can solve the complex problems facing us at BC Housing," he said.
Ramsey's last day as CEO of BC Housing will be Sept. 6. He says he wants to spend more time with his children and grandkids, and "tackle problems I still feel like I can solve."
A condo building is seen under construction surrounded by houses in Vancouver, B.C., on March 30, 2018. ( THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck)
BC HOUSING BOARD CHANGES
Ramsey's announcement comes weeks after the B.C. government reported changes to BC Housing's board of commissioners.
In early July, the province fired all seven commission board members and replaced them with new members.
The shakeup came after a significant third-party report of BC Housing was released, which included 26 findings and 44 recommendations on how to improve the organization's operations.
The report was ordered by the B.C. government since the scope and resources available to BC Housing have ballooned in recent years.
In the 2017/2018 year, BC Housing's expenditures and revenues totalled $782 million. Three years later, in 2020/2021, its total expenditures and revenues were $1.9 billion, according to the review.
Over the same time, the organization's borrowing capacity rose from $165 million to $2.8 billion.
With files from CTV Vancouver's Ian Holliday.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Deaths of 4 people on Sask. farm confirmed as murder-suicide
The deaths of four people on a farm near the Saskatchewan village of Neudorf have been confirmed a murder-suicide.
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
developing Bus plunges off a bridge in South Africa, killing 45 people. An 8-year-old child is only survivor
A bus carrying worshippers headed to an Easter festival plunged off a bridge on a mountain pass and burst into flames in South Africa on Thursday, killing at least 45 people, authorities said.
Calgary bridges remain closed due to ongoing police incident
Calgary police have shut down a number of bridges into and out of the downtown core as officers deal with a distraught individual.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.
George Washington family secrets revealed by DNA from unmarked 19th century graves
Genetic analysis has shed light on a long-standing mystery surrounding the fates of U.S. President George Washington's younger brother Samuel and his kin.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
Kinew, Poilievre meet at Manitoba legislature, discuss each other's priorities
Premier Wab Kinew and federal Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre met at the Manitoba legislature Thursday afternoon.
Biden OKs US$60M in aid after Baltimore bridge collapse as governor warns of 'very long road ahead'
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore warned Thursday of a 'very long road ahead' to recover from the loss of Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge as the Biden administration approved US$60 million in immediate federal aid after the deadly collapse.