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BIRCH 2026 Employer Survey

Seeking Employer Input

In partnership with the Bowen Island Municipality, BIRCH (Bowen Island Resilient Community Housing) is working to identify growing workforce housing pressures that are affecting local employers and service levels.

Bowen Island employers have told us housing is affecting hiring, retention, and service delivery.
This survey gathers data to:
  • Quantify workforce housing impacts
  • Identify viable employer-supported solutions
  • Inform municipal and nonprofit housing strategy

Owners or managers of Bowen Island–based businesses, nonprofits, or organizations with at least one employee or contractor working on Bowen Island are encouraged to complete this survey.

We thank you in advance for your time and effort to complete this survey - it should take less than 10 minutes.

All survey responses are optional and confidential.

Survey is open until March 20, 2026.

1.Is your business/organization located on Bowen Island?
2.What sector best describes your organization? Select all that apply.
3.How many people do you employ on Bowen Island?
4.Workforce composition (approximate %):
5.Do you consider housing availability on Bowen Island a limiting factor in:
Not at all
Slightly
Moderately
Significantly
Attracting new employees
Retaining current employees
Expanding operations
Maintaining current service levels
Not a limiting factor
6.In the past 12 months, have you lost a potential hire or an existing employee due to lack of appropriate housing on Bowen?
7.If yes, in the past 12 months, how many potential hires or existing employees have you lost due to lack of appropriate housing on Bowen?
8.In the past 12 months, have you experienced any of the following due to housing challenges?
Not at all
Slightly
Moderately
Significantly
Unfilled positions
Delayed hiring
Higher turnover
Reduced hours or services
Increased wage pressure
Increased commuting
Relocation by staff
9.To your knowledge, how many of your current employees are actively looking for housing on Bowen?
10.Do you currently have employees or subcontractors who commute to Bowen Island for work because they cannot find housing locally?
11.If yes, approximate number who commute:
12.Does commuting pose challenges to your business operations?
Not at all
Slightly
Moderately
Significantly
Missed shifts/unreliable attendance
Difficulty scheduling early or late shifts
Higher job turnover
Reduced applicant pool
No significant challenges
13.Do you currently provide housing-related support to employees? (Select all that apply)
14.What limits your ability to provide housing support today? (Select all that apply)
15.What types of staff housing solutions would be most helpful for your business?
(Select all that apply)
16.If additional workforce housing were developed on Bowen, how many units do you believe your business could realistically make use of?
17.Would your business consider contributing financially to secure housing for staff if it improved retention or hiring? (Select all that apply)
18.Would your organization consider participating in employer-supported housing solutions? (Select all that apply)
19.What level of financial contribution could your organization realistically consider?
20.How urgent is workforce housing for your organization?
21.Would your business be willing to collaborate with BIRCH and the Municipality to help shape future workforce housing solutions? (Select all that apply)
22.Is there anything you would like to share about workforce housing, employer challenges, or potential solutions?
23.How did you find this survey?
Thank you for taking the time to complete this survey.

If you haven't yet, please complete the 2026 Community Housing Survey, as a community member to guide future non-profit housing initiatives and shape the long-term housing vision for our island.

If you would like to participate in exploring workforce housing on Bowen Island please to share your name and contact information.
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