Despite the tough economy and ongoing housing crisis, Victoria Mayor Marianne Alto says the city is moving in the right direction.

Over the past year, it has had to deal with provincially mandated housing targets, climate change, a high cost of living, emergency weather shelters and an ever-growing population of those experiencing homelessness, addictions and mental health challenges.

"Looking back at '24, clearly it was a really challenging year looking at the perspective of the remarkable increases in the cost of everything," she said in a phone interview. "For council, we're always looking at, in some way, ameliorating that for our residents. We're looking at streamlining processes and making sure that people who want to invest in the city and build housing and bring new programs can do so as quickly and efficiently as possible."

In late 2023, the province mandated Victoria to build 659 housing units over 2024. Ministry of Housing and Municipal Affairs Ravi Kahlon announced on Dec. 18 that Victoria had built 1,477 units, or about 224 per cent of their mandate, though Alto does note that most of those developments were approved by the previous council.

"It's great news, [I'm] really excited, but I think we need to be careful to not assume that we're going to be able to sustain that pace for the next four years," she said, adding she wants to continue to ensure it's "as easy and rewarding as possible for people to develop housing."

Council strives to continue to build housing "across the whole spectrum" from rentals to condos for purchase, and from market housing to affordable housing, while working with non-profits to build supportive housing for those looking to move out of sheltering and homelessness, she said.

The pace that council provides building permits could potentially change in the coming years depending on the economy, she says. However, they will continue to support housing development and investments, maximizing "what's possible" as long as the economy continues to support it.

"This is all about creating as much housing as we can, and as diverse a type of housing as we can."

Large projects on the horizon include Crystal Pool, with options going to a referendum in February, and upgrades to Royal Athletic Park, Centennial Square and Ship Point. Alto says the council will probably take things a bit more slowly next year so these projects may not be finished in 2025.

"[They won't be] thrown away by any means, but delayed so that we can find that balance of what people need and want, as well as what they can afford to pay for right now. It's going to be a difficult decision and a challenging year,  but I always remain very hopeful about what's possible," she said.

"We're trying to be practical and reasonable."

In the coming year, the council will continue to forge relationships with local First Nations, consult with local businesses, and work at improving community safety and well-being.

"It's an enormous privilege to be in a job like this; It's also very challenging to make sure that we do what we believe is best for the city. At the same time, it's understanding what our residents want from us and expect from us," she concluded. "I know that the people who live here really love Victoria, as do I.  We're all trying to, I think, make sure that we do everything we can, the best we can."