Response is pouring in to Vancouver’s controversial transfer to freeze new supportive housing within the metropolis.
Vancouver metropolis council heard from almost 100 audio system on Monday, the bulk elevating issues with Mayor Ken Sim’s proposal, whereas protesters rallied exterior Metropolis Corridor.
However the concept has its backers as effectively — even when they’ve been much less public about it.
“We’re totally supportive of it,” mentioned Brian Davie, president of the Gastown Residents’ Affiliation.
“Our main concern is crime and social dysfunction which have overwhelmed us lately, and albeit we’re completely happy to have a mayor who’s listening to us proper now.”
Sim mentioned town had acquired about 130 letters in assist of the movement, and had met with teams supportive of the plan like Davie’s.
Coun. Lenny Zhou mentioned one of many letters was from a coalition of Chinatown organizations, lots of whose members couldn’t communicate at council resulting from work commitments or language limitations.
“What occurred prior to now a few years is their voice was ignored by town council,” he mentioned.
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“Their voice is necessary, as a lot as others.”
Sim and the plan’s backers say a freeze on new supportive housing is required to permit town to shore up its current and dilapidated inventory of low-income housing.
They additional argue different regional municipalities want to tug their weight by offering supportive housing of their very own.
However opponents of the plan say placing the brakes on new supportive housing throughout a housing disaster and because the homeless inhabitants grows will solely exacerbate the issue.
ABC Vancouver Coun. Lisa Dominato cut up together with her caucus colleagues to vote towards the movement.
“We should be including truly extra supportive housing, not much less, when there’s such a time of want,” she mentioned, noting the final homeless rely discovered greater than 4,000 unhoused individuals within the area, greater than half of them in Vancouver.
“I’ve talked to mayors and councillors from throughout the area and I don’t assume this movement goes to compel them so as to add extra supportive housing. The truth is, we simply noticed Richmond reject a supportive project of their neighborhood.”
B.C. Housing Minister Ravi Kahlon referred to as town’s transfer “disappointing.”
“That being mentioned, we’re going to proceed our advocacy with Vancouver, we’re going to proceed our work,” he mentioned.
“We’ve been assured that the initiatives within the pipeline now will nonetheless proceed but it surely does create some uncertainty for the longer term.”
Greater than 400 supportive housing models are already within the pipeline for Vancouver and can go forward regardless of the movement.
The mayor’s freeze additionally contains a number of exemptions for initiatives that may exchange current housing inventory, health-care-related housing and initiatives for seniors, ladies and youth getting older out of care.
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