My last communiqué was about actions our government is taking to protect the environment. Today I want to update you on our measures to develop compassionate solutions to our social challenges, which is another one of our Five Goals for a Better Vancouver.
Continuing reading for updates on the following items:
- Downtown Vancouver Community Court
- New Housing Announcements
- Project Civil City Update
- Housing Construction Status Report
You can look forward to more announcements from us on our efforts to battle homelessness and reduce crime. In the meantime, I look forward to hearing your feedback and ideas.
Sincerely,
Downtown Vancouver Community Court
Earlier today, I joined Councillor Kim Capri, BC Attorney General Wally Oppal and Solicitor General John Les for a tour of the proposed Downtown Vancouver Community Court.
The site is currently under construction and is scheduled to open this Spring. The Community Court will bring together justice, health and social services to enhance our response to crime. It will:
- Improve justice system efficiencies through adoption of innovative case management practices
- Integrate justice, health and social services to hold offenders accountable while producing better outcomes for offenders by responding to their needs and circumstances
- Contribute to a liveable community and affording new opportunities for community participation in the criminal justice system
The Court will house staff from Vancouver Coastal Health, Ministry of Employment and Income Assistance, Vancouver Police Department, as well as Community Court Crown Counsel, Community Court Defence Counsel, and Community Corrections. There will be designated judges and court staff.
New Housing Announcements
Last Friday, I was honoured to attend another significant housing announcement in Vancouver with Premier Campbell and Housing Minister Rich Coleman at Vancouver’s Lookout Emergency Aid Shelter.
The provincial government announced new and expanded measures to help break the cycle of homelessness with an added $41 million. The measures include:
- New funding for emergency shelters so they can be open 24 hours a day/seven days a week
- Expansion of homeless outreach services
- More rent supplement units
- Pre-funded development costs to ensure city-owned sites will be ready for the start of construction of new supporting housing within a year
On behalf of the City of Vancouver, I want to thank Premier Campbell, Minister Coleman and the entire provincial government for their commitment to social and supportive housing.
Project Civil City Update
Councillor Kim Capri and I introduced Project Civil City in November 2006 to identify specific steps and actions to respond to the issues of homelessness and street disorder in our community.
The plan establishes goals to eliminate homelessness, the open drug market and aggressive panhandling. Last Friday’s housing announcement will help achieve these goals.
In the 11 months since Project Civil City was established, we have delivered on many initiatives that support the plan’s objectives, including:
- Commitments for more than 1,500 new supportive housing units – in partnership with the province
- Plan to establishing dumpster free areas downtown
- New rules in partnership with Granville Street Merchants & Vancouver Police Department to reduce public disorder in Vancouver’s entertainment district
- Petitioned federal government to maintain supervised injection site and supported the goals and objectives of innovative drug substitution treatment research trials
- Petitioned provincial government to reconsider its decision to downsize mental services at Riverview Intensive Care facility
- By-law and ticketing improvements to the Vancouver Charter
- Established Dobell /Fairbairn process to leverage more private investment in social housing
- Enhanced tenant support services in the Downtown Eastside
- Encouraged province to increase social assistance payments
- More buses and taxis to enhance late night transportation options in entertainment district
- Implementation of municipal ticketing information pilot project & improved collection procedures
- Reinstated Vancouver Police Department Beach Patrol
Housing Construction – Status Report
The following is a status report on social housing projects and initiatives underway in Vancouver. This report does not include the announcements made by Premier Campbell and Minister Coleman last week.
Status of Projects
Social Housing Projects Completed in 2007:
|
Project |
Address |
New Units |
Converted Units |
|
Grace Mansion |
596 East Hastings |
85 units |
|
|
Helping Spirit Lodge |
1475 Kingsway |
36 units |
|
|
Southview Heights |
3131 East 58th |
57 units |
|
|
Triage on Fraser |
5616 Fraser St. |
30 units |
|
|
Jackson Ave. Hsg. Co-op |
230 Jackson Ave. |
23 units |
|
|
The Vivian |
512 Powell St. |
24 units |
|
|
Total |
6 projects/255 units |
57 units |
198 units |
Social Housing Projects Under Construction:
|
Kindred Place |
1321 Richards St. |
87 units |
|
|
Beulah Gardens II |
3355 East 5th |
89 units |
|
|
St Vincents |
4875 Heather |
60 units |
|
|
Triage on Hastings |
65 East Hastings |
92 units |
|
|
Icelandic Residence |
2020 Harrison Dr. |
77 units |
|
|
Woodwards Singles |
131 W. Hastings |
125 units |
|
|
Woodwards Families |
122 W. Hastings |
75 units |
|
|
Passlin Hotel |
768 Richards St. |
46 units |
|
|
Pennsylvania Hotel |
412 Carrall St. |
44 units |
|
|
Total |
9 Projects/695 units |
651 units |
44 units |
Social Housing Projects Funded and in Development:
|
Portland on Main |
980 Main St. |
80 units |
|
|
Small Suite Demonstration |
337 West Pender |
120 units |
|
|
Olympic Village, Parcel 2 |
151 West First Ave. |
88 units |
|
|
Olympic Village, Parcel 5 |
85 West First Ave. |
99 units |
|
|
Olympic Village, Parcel 9 |
1685 Ontario St. |
69 units |
|
|
Union Gospel Mission |
601 East Hastings |
133 beds, rooms and units |
|
|
Carl Rooms |
335 Princess Ave. |
47 rooms |
|
|
Marble Arch Hotel |
518 Richards St. |
145 rooms |
|
|
Orange Hall |
329/41 Gore Ave. |
27 units |
|
|
Orwell Hotel |
456 East Hastings |
55 rooms |
|
|
Park Hotel |
429/33 West Pender |
56 rooms |
|
|
Molson/Roosevelt Hotel |
166 East Hastings |
45 rooms |
|
|
Savoy Hotel |
258/60 East Hastings |
28 rooms |
|
|
St. Helens Hotel |
1161 Granville St. |
98 rooms |
|
|
The Rice Block |
404 Hawks Ave. |
44 rooms |
|
|
Walton Hotel |
261/5 East Hastings |
51 rooms |
|
|
Lu’ma/Aboriginal Mothers |
2019 Dundas St. |
10 units |
|
|
Trio |
Downtown Eastside |
30 units |
|
|
Circle of Eagles |
1470 East Broadway |
17 rooms |
|
|
Lu’ma/Aboriginal Families |
Broadway/Nanaimo |
20 units |
|
|
Total |
20 Projects/1262 beds, rooms, units |
649 units |
613 rooms |
|
Grand Total |
35 Projects/ 2212 beds, rooms, units |
1357 units |
855 rooms |
Call for SRO Operators
In August BC Housing issued a call for Expressions of Interest from non-profit and/or private operators to take on the management of the 10 SRO hotels that the Province bought, the Drake Hotel that the City bought, and also for the development of the small suite demonstration project on the City-owned site at 343 West Pender. The responses were received in late September and are currently being reviewed.
The Province’s acquisition of the 595 SRO rooms satisfies the recommendation of the Vancouver Homelessness Funding Model that Council approved in principle on March, 2007. Staff will be reporting to Council regarding the results of the call for Expressions of Interest and seeking Council approval to contribute $5,000,000 to the Province (BC Housing).
