Forensic audit of BC Housing completed, findings to be released 'as soon as possible'
A forensic audit of BC Housing that the government ordered last year has been completed, though it's unclear when it will be released to the public.
The audit examined the agency's dealings with certain service providers, and followed a separate external review by Ernst and Young that was delivered in 2022.
The Ministry of Housing noted the province has obligations under the Freedom of Information and Privacy Act that must be met before the findings are shared publicly, including a duty to give the service providers involved time to respond.
"I believe it's in the public interest for that report to be made public with as little redactions as legally possible," Minister Ravi Kahlon told CTV News on Friday.
"In order to do so, we need to reach out to the entities that potentially may be named in the report to give them an opportunity to have their say, and that's a process we're going to be going over in the next few weeks."
The province aims to have the report released "as soon as possible," Kahlon added.
BC Housing is a Crown corporation that develops, manages and administers subsidized housing in the province. The Ernst and Young review, which was released last June, found "roles, responsibilities and accountabilities of both the government shareholder and BC Housing are unclear."
It concluded there is a risk that oversight policies could contain gaps that "could result in inefficiencies and additional reporting burden on BC Housing."
Premier David Eby, who was then the province's housing minister, announced the dismissal of seven members of the government-appointed BC Housing board days after the Ernst and Young report was released.
Kahlon told CTV News his ministry is already working to address the issues highlighted in that review to help BC Housing "function in a better way."
The government will also be sharing more details on its plans to address the larger housing crisis in the province in the coming weeks, Kahlon said.
With files from The Canadian Press
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
NDP motion regarding Palestinian statehood passes after major Liberal alterations
A motion from the federal New Democrats initially calling on Canada to recognize the 'State of Palestine' passed amid widespread acrimony on Monday, after the Liberals drastically altered its wording to see the government simply work towards that aim as part of a two-state solution.
'He didn't want to die': Family of Calgary man killed in standoff speaks out
Family of a Calgary man killed after a 30-hour standoff with police last week are speaking out, sharing details of the tense and heart-wrenching experience.
Toronto family doctor who called patient's body 'perfect' suspended for 3 months: tribunal
A family doctor in Toronto has been suspended for three months after a disciplinary tribunal found that he failed to follow proper protocols while examining a patient's breasts and made inappropriate comments about her body.
Ohio mom who left toddler alone 10 days when she went on vacation pleads guilty to aggravated murder
An Ohio mother whose 16-month-old daughter died after being left home alone in a playpen for 10 days last summer while she went on vacation was sentenced Monday to life in prison with no chance of parole.
Retired teacher pleads guilty to paying for sex with 15-year-old in Collingwood, Ont.
In a Barrie courtroom on Monday, a retired high school teacher from the Niagara Region pleaded guilty to sexual touching and obtaining sexual services from a 15-year-old boy in Collingwood in 2021.
Hertz CEO out following electric car 'horror show'
The company, which announced in January it was selling 20,000 of the electric vehicles in its fleet, or about a third of the EVs it owned, is now replacing the CEO who helped build up that fleet, giving it the company’s fifth boss in just four years.
5 charged in Calgary kidnappings that targeted women
Calgary police have charged five men in a pair of kidnappings last year that targeted innocent victims.
Demand soars for solar eclipse glasses in Canada. Are they worth buying?
The demand for total solar eclipse glasses used to safely view the rare celestial event has been ramping up as sellers, along with astronomy and eye-care experts in Canada, warn that viewing the eclipse with the naked eye is dangerous.
Canadian commander of volunteer fighter group dies in Ukraine
A Canadian-born commander of the so-called Norman Brigade, a volunteer fighting group in Ukraine, has died.