The Housing Affordability Partnership (HAP) evolved from a number of initiatives operating in the Capital Region in the last decade. Most agree that around late 1999 or early 2000 HAP grew out of the CRUNCH project, although the Vancouver Island Housing and Safety Committee is also cited as a predecessor. The Capital Regional Housing Corporation (CRHC) and BC Housing provided grants to get HAP launched. HAP’s formation was motivated by a recognition that, with cooperation and collaboration, addressing housing affordability is given more validity and momentum.

CRUNCH was a three-year community development initiative that started in 1997 with an initial focus on downtown Victoria, that subsequently expanded throughout the City. The CRUNCH initiative, a project of the Community Council, brought a wide range of people to the table including: businesses, churches, developers and builders, community people, non-profit social services agencies, planners and the downtown residents themselves. One of the key issues CRUNCH identified was the lack of safe affordable and supportive housing as a significant social challenge in the City. Although CRUNCH ended in the fall of 2000, it left an important legacy with the development of eight key principles that form the basis on which HAP operates. These principles are: community solutions, broad/diverse participation, commitment, openness, use of plain language, cooperation, sharing (information and resources), and leadership.

From these beginnings HAP has evolved into a unique cross-sectoral partnership with representation on its Steering Committee from the public, private, and not-for profit sectors – involving key sectors of the housing industry. Through its Steering Committee, web site, and HAP sponsored events, the organization has linkages to the wider community. Over the years, funding for HAP has been raised from a number of different sources (e.g. BC Housing, CRHC, Coast Capital, and VanCity).

The Housing Affordability Partnership has a proven track record that includes:

• HAP’s instrumental role in the CRD’s decision to undertake the development of the Regional Housing Affordability Strategy, the development of the Terms of Reference for the Strategy the development of the Strategy itself (particularly through member participation on the Steering and Advisory Committees and at workshops), and implementation of the recommendation re: the Regional Housing Trust Fund.
  
  

• HAP’s raising of public, stakeholder, and local government awareness and understanding of housing affordability (including individual and community health and economic impacts) through presentations, meetings with key stakeholders/ decisionmakers, the media, web site, and Housing Affordability Week.
  
  

• HAP’s support of a number of proposed developments through the zoning process e.g. a 23 unit Women's Transition House in Saanich and the conversion of the Jolly Knight Motel on Gorge Road to a unique apartment building designed for single men.
  
  

• HAP’s facilitation of housing affordability projects by bringing potential partners together and identifying opportunities for increasing supply.
  
  

• HAP’s advice to local government on policies and practices to encourage housing affordability (e.g. adaptable housing, secondary suites, and density).