Victoria is not alone in its uphill battle to fund housing projects for the poor and homeless.

"Every municipality is talking about how affordable housing is desperately needed and is critical to our success," said Victoria Mayor Dean Fortin, after returning from the week-long convention of the Union of British Columbia Municipalities.

While piecemeal efforts are welcome, Victoria's mayor said municipalities resoundingly called on the federal government for a national strategy.

The province wasn't let off the hook, either.

Municipalities called on B.C. to address issues of child poverty, especially in light of the recent report by the B.C. Representative for Children and Youth, highlighting the failures of various ministries to protect the needs of the young.

For Esquimalt, the issue of industrial taxation policy took centre stage for Mayor Barb Desjardins.

"That was a very important resolution that we needed to deal with because it is an issue that keeps coming back to UBCM," she said.

Municipalities passed a resolution calling on government to support their authority in setting industrial taxation rates. The issue came to the fore recently when some heavy industries refused to pay their tax bills.

Because municipalities are not allowed to run a deficit, the loss in taxes could result in some serious cuts to service, Desjardins said.

It's an issue that affects Esquimalt in an indirect way, she added.

While Esquimalt has little private industry within its borders, it has lots of federal industries which make payments in-lieu-of-taxes to the municipality.

Roughly six years ago, the feds took issue with their assessment.

"There's been a difference of opinion in terms of what PILT should be paid," Desjardins said. "Ultimately, it got resolved (but) it was a huge issue at the time ... We are the third most reliant community on payment in lieu of taxes."

Only one other Esquimalt councillor, Meagan Brame, was able to join the mayor at the annual convention, held this year in Vancouver.

"Everybody works full time and this year it just wasn't possible for others to attend," Desjardins said.

"It was unfortunate because I find it so beneficial ... You learn that the problems you're having, somebody else is having as well, and that somebody else may have already come to a solution."

rholmen@saanichnews.com