Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim’s announcement Thursday that he plans to halt any construction of “net new” supportive housing in Vancouver has set off dismay and cheering throughout British Columbia.
At a Vancouver conference organized by groups of residents, businesses and organizations concerned about deteriorating public disorder, Mr. Sim said this week Vancouver is already carrying too much of the load of supportive housing, with 77 per cent of all that type in the region even though the city only represents 25 per cent of total population.
“This imbalance is unsustainable, especially when much of our existing supportive housing, including our extensive [single-room occupancy] stock, is aging and deteriorating,” he said.
“That’s why I’ll be bringing a motion to council to pause any net new supportive housing units in Vancouver until we see increased supportive housing availability across the region. By focusing on renewal and revitalization, we’re ensuring that the people who live here get the support they deserve in a place that’s built to help them succeed.”
The mayor was particularly critical of the amount of supportive housing in the Downtown Eastside and the efforts of past governments whose policies led to a concentration of service providers, as well as troubled clients, in the neighbourhood.
“This poverty-industrial complex has not only blocked local businesses from thriving but has also created conditions that degrade the health and well-being of our most vulnerable community members. Meanwhile, it has attracted predatory criminals, further compounding this neighbourhood’s challenges.”
Supportive housing is social housing, rented at rates well below market value, that also has on-site services for tenants with mental health, addiction and other struggles. The buildings are operated by non-profit organizations contracted by the provincial government.
After the mayor’s comments, social media filled up immediately with people either praising the move as a much-needed reprieve or expressing shock and dismay that the mayor appears to buy into the idea that supportive housing creates crime spots, as well as the thought of turning down provincial money aimed at getting homeless people off the streets.
One of the mayor’s ABC Party councillors was among them, as was the province’s Housing Minister.
“There’s a homelessness crisis that’s growing. For anybody to say no to housing money is nonsensical,” said Councillor Rebecca Bligh. “This blunt policy approach is oversimplifying a very complex issue and may actually worsen the housing crisis in the city.”
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Housing Minister Ravi Kahlon, who said the city gave no notice of its intentions, said he completely understands the need for more supportive housing to be built in other parts of the region. But he was disturbed that the mayor’s language that appeared to link supportive housing to crime.
“If you want to reduce crime, it’s not by saying ‘We’re not going to provide housing.’”
One of the organizers of the Save Our Streets conference said he understands the mayor’s efforts because Vancouver is carrying such a big proportion of needed low-income housing.
“I think the announcement was a good move for Vancouver, but it leaves questions about where do people go that has to be answered effectively. And municipalities outside Vancouver have to realize they have to carry part of the burden,” said Jess Ketchum.
Mr. Sim’s speech did not indicate where his statistics come from, which projects might be affected and how much more he expected from the rest of the region before Vancouver would restart applications. More details will come at the next council meeting in February, said Zoe Frankcom, the mayor’s communications director.
In a later e-emailed statement, the city’s communications department said there are currently five supportive housing projects with a combined 330 units in the pipeline, and another project with 53 units is in the early stages. None of those projects would be impacted by the mayor’s new moratorium.
A city report from June, 2024, stated that Vancouver provided about 82 per cent of the region’s supportive housing, with Surrey the next largest at just under 10 per cent.
The mayor also said the Downtown Eastside needs a new overall plan to encourage more mixed housing. And he said the Vancouver police would initiate a gang crackdown.
Non-profit housing developers in Vancouver scrambled Thursday and Friday to assess what the impact of the mayor’s decision would be and some were offended by his language.
“This notion that supportive housing is criminogenic is deeply inhumane,” said Michael Vonn, chief executive officer of PHS Community Services Society and chair of the B.C. Coalition for Safe and Sustainable Supportive Housing.
The province has pushed to see supportive housing projects open in other cities in Metro Vancouver, but Mr. Kahlon said that’s worked with varying success.
He noted that the District of North Vancouver recently had five nights of public hearings – the longest ever – over a modest 65-unit project. It’s unclear whether it will be approved when council makes its decision on Feb. 5.
Mr. Kahlon also said it’s been difficult to get from some municipalities in the region for new supportive housing projects, with Coquitlam saying it has already done its part and general disagreement among mayors in Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam and in Port Moody about where any new project should go.