Kitsilano’s controversial social and supportive housing project heads to city hall | The Canadian News

Vancouver city council is facing what could be its next series of marathon meetings, once again over a controversial project.

At issue is a 13-storey social housing project proposed for Arbutus Street, between 7th and 8th Avenue, which would include 129 studio apartments for low-income and homeless people.

A minimum of 50% of the units would be reserved for people currently homeless and on income assistance, while the other half would be reserved for people earning between $15,000 and $30,000 per year.

More than 200 people have signed up to weigh in on the proposal, and emotions are running high on both sides.

Karen Finnan of the Kitsilano Coalition group described the proposal as a “failed housing model” because of the high proportion of proposed residents with complex problems.

“It’s contrary to the social science that the best model for people to move on to a better path in life is to be in housing scattered around the city, with five percent of every rental building with people experiencing homelessness, at risk of homelessness, and with mental health and substance abuse issues,” he said.

“It’s going to matter to the culture of the street, and it’s not going to help the people who live there.”

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The group is also concerned about the building’s proximity to an elementary school, and has raised concerns that at-risk residents will not have adequate services.

Supporters of this project and others like it say the city already faces a homeless crisis, and that action is needed now to provide people with decent places to live off the street.

Vancouver homeless count in 2020.the last conducted before the COVID-19 pandemic, documented 2,095 homeless people in the city, approximately one-quarter of them unsheltered.

“People are dying from homelessness. Councillors need to save lives by approving this initiative,” Clara Pragar, project manager for Women Transforming Cities, told Global News.

“Housing affordability is Vancouver’s number one problem and the only way to solve it is to build affordable housing in every neighbourhood.”

The City of Vancouver has offered the land for the project, with funding for the building coming from BC Housing.

BC Attorney General and Minister responsible for Housing, David Eby, said the proposal has already been modified based on feedback from neighbors, including changing the mix of residents to 50% low-income and 50% supportive housing.

On the CKNW program Jas Johal Showsaid he was open to further discussions on the proposal, but that at its core the project has to serve those most in need.

“We really need the housing, so any compromise we can offer around making sure the tenant mix is going to work well and that sort of thing, I’m happy to have those conversations,” he said.

“The challenge is that when people just don’t want anyone who has an addiction, anyone who is struggling in any way to get into the building, it sort of defeats the whole purpose of trying to defeat homelessness and address homelessness by getting people in.”

The public hearing on the proposal is scheduled to begin Tuesday night, but could be extended for several sessions due to the volume of speakers signed up to address the council.