VICTORIA – After a rigorous search, BC Housing’s board of commissioners has selected Vincent Tong as CEO. 

Tong was selected based on his record of leading transformative change in complex organizations, as well as his high standards of integrity, commitment to advancing equity and reconciliation, and extensive experience leading complex residential development projects.

“The BC Housing board of commissioners wanted a transformational leader to guide the organization through its evolution, and we found that leader in Vincent Tong,” said Allan Seckel, chair, board of commissioners. “Under Vincent’s leadership, BC Housing has been taking significant steps to strengthen our organizational structure and capacity, financial systems, governance practices, and policies related to oversight, transparency and conflict of interest.”

Tong has been acting CEO at BC Housing since September 2022, after serving as BC Housing’s vice-president of development and asset strategies since July 2021. Tong brings deep experience in the housing and development sector, including as chief development officer for Toronto Community Housing, the largest provider of social housing in Canada.

“I’m confident that the BC Housing board has made the right decision in selecting Vincent Tong as CEO,” said Ravi Kahlon, Minister of Housing. “He has done a tremendous job leading the organization through a challenging period, and I look forward to working with him as we deliver on our government’s commitment to deliver housing solutions for British Columbians all over the province.”

In collaboration with the board of commissioners and executive team since fall 2022, Tong has led changes at BC Housing, such as: 

• modernizing leadership structure to consolidate accountabilities;
• recruiting new in-house legal counsel to provide greater oversight on legal, regulatory and privacy issues;
• increasing board oversight of development projects;
• strengthening oversight of housing providers;
• creating new whistleblower protections; and
• developing more comprehensive standards of conduct policy.

“I’m honoured to have the opportunity to continue leading the transformation at BC Housing,” said Tong. “This is a pivotal time in B.C. where people are struggling to secure affordable housing. I am committed to ensuring BC Housing delivers on our mandate and recent record investments made by the Province through Homes for People to open tens of thousands of new affordable homes. I look forward to continuing to work with BC Housing’s dedicated employees, along with our provincial partners, the non-profit housing sector and municipal partners as we work together to address the housing crisis that affects us all.”

BC Housing develops, manages and administers a range of subsidized housing options throughout the province. BC Housing also licenses residential builders, administers owner-builder authorizations, and carries out research and education that benefits the residential construction industry, consumers and the affordable housing sector.

Learn More:

To learn about BC Housing, visit: https://www.bchousing.org

A full list of BC Housing’s Executive team can be found here: https://www.bchousing.org/about/governance/our-executives

To learn about the steps the Province is taking to tackle the housing crisis and deliver affordable homes for British Columbians, visit: https://workingforyou.gov.bc.ca/