Canada/Vancouver freezes new supportive housing construction
The City of Vancouver will freeze the construction of new supportive housing units. The move follows a City Council vote Wednesday in favor of Mayor Ken Sim's controversial motion.
In addition to the mayor, five councillors from his ABC Vancouver party voted in favour of the motion: Sarah Kirby-Yung, Mike Klassen, Peter Meiszner, Brian Montague and Lenny Zhou. Three other councillors opposed the motion: Pete Fry of the Green Party, Rebecca Bligh, who has been expelled from ABC Vancouver, and Lisa Dominato, who belongs to the mayor's party.
Regional imbalance, says Ken Sim
Ken Sim argues that Vancouver accounts for over 77% of Metro Vancouver's supportive housing, yet only 25% of the region's population.
According to the motion passed, the measure will remain in place until progress is made in increasing the supply of supportive housing to meet the needs of homeless people in the region.
The numbers clearly show that Vancouver has done more than its fair share when it comes to the [metropolitan] region. All we ask is that the region show compassion and empathy and start building supportive housing in its communities.
A quote from Ken Sim, Mayor of Vancouver
What is supportive housing?
According to City of Vancouver documents, supportive housing is housing for people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness, and who have serious mental health and/or substance use problems. These units offer on-site support services 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. They differ from social housing, where occasional assistance is provided.
Dozens speak out
On Wednesday, 95 people signed up to speak on the motion at the city's standing committee meeting. They were given 3 minutes each.
Among them, former Vancouver City Councillor Jean Swanson spoke out against the motion: "We're talking about housing about 4,000 homeless people. [...] In addition, there are more than 6,000 residents of single-occupancy rooms who live in unsuitable conditions and could die in the first major earthquake.
Ten thousand units would save all levels of government money for aid, police, sanitation and more.
A quote from Jean Swanson, former Vancouver City Councillor
Devin O'Leary, community organizer for the Carnegie Housing Project, also spoke. We are in a deep crisis. To say that we should reject the 3,000 people on the waiting list for supportive housing only exacerbates the crisis.
Other speakers spoke in favor of the motion, citing a situation that has spiraled out of control and beyond the saturation level of what Vancouver can absorb.
Demonstrators by the hundreds
While the testimonies were taking place indoors, around 300 people gathered outside City Hall in the afternoon to denounce the Vancouver mayor's plan.
The group included Downtown Eastside residents, social housing activists and representatives of marginalized groups, among others.
Source: ici.radio-canada.ca/
