“social housing”

Mayor Sam Sullivan today concluded two-and-a-half days of meetings with federal Ministers, MPs and Senators in Ottawa, where he continued to put Vancouver’s most pressing needs on the federal agenda in advance of the 2007 budget.

Homelessness, drug addiction and public disorder were among the key issues raised by Mayor Sullivan, who has met with elected representatives from all federal political parties in Vancouver and Ottawa over the past week. He was accompanied to Ottawa by Councillor Suzanne Anton and Vancouver Police Inspector Scott Thompson.

Sullivan proposes new regional solutions to GVRD Mayors

Mayor Sam Sullivan is calling on Mayors in the Greater Vancouver Regional District (GVRD) to put the issue of municipal funding for social housing on the ballot in the next civic election in 2008.

“If we are going to find long-term solutions to the housing crisis facing our region, it is clear we need to support a sustainable plan that will provide new funding for us to partner with the Province,” said Mayor Sullivan. “By putting a housing question on the ballot, we will give every citizen and business owner in the GVRD a chance to voice their support for our most vulnerable living throughout the region.

“Mayor Sullivan also highlighted several components of a motion that will be brought forward by Councillor Kim Capri at the next GVRD Housing Committee meeting. This includes the establishment of a new Provincial/Municipal Social Housing Protocol. This Protocol will serve to clarify what role, given the limited tax base of cities, municipalities can play to facilitate the development of social housing within their communities.

Mayor hosts roundtable meeting with service providers

Mayor Sam Sullivan has commended yesterday’s decision of City Council to proceed with immediate actions to encourage new social housing development, increase the number of emergency shelter beds for the homeless in Vancouver, and invest in the creation of 44 new social housing units in the former Pennsylvania Hotel in the Downtown Eastside.

The Mayor shared information about the new actions with a group of 20 community organizations and service providers who took part in a roundtable meeting on homelessness in the Mayor’s Office this morning. The group discussed ways in which the City, Regional, Provincial and Federal governments can work collaboratively with community groups and agencies in the inner city to provide emergency shelter and services.

In advance of a debate regarding a five-point proposal by Councillor Kim Capri to deal with Vancouver’s homeless crisis, Mayor Sam Sullivan is calling upon the Provincial government to provide emergency funding to support our most vulnerable population this winter.

“This is only a first step in helping to meet the immediate needs of the approximately one thousand homeless people wandering Vancouver’s streets on a nightly basis,” says Mayor Sullivan. “Our request for emergency funding to prevent any further SROs from closing in the next six months will go a long way in securing housing for those at risk of homelessness.”

Beginning in 1981, the City began to purchase and hold land specifically for lease to non-profit projects. Since 1988, the City has also required private developers to set aside a…

The Province
October 24, 2006

Helping the least fortunate is one of society’s greatest responsibilities. And it is one of the best reasons for paying taxes to various levels of government.

But housing the homeless in Vancouver is a complex issue not easily solved by simplistic solutions. And the situation is not improved by political zealots, seized with self-righteous fury, staging an illegal protest and using the 2010 Winter Olympics as a convenient scapegoat.

Vancouver Sun
October 18, 2006
When faced with pressing social problems such as drug addiction, prostitution or homelessness, we’re often confronted with a utopian mentality, one that sees the complete and immediate eradication of such problems as the only solution.

As a first step in beginning to address the serious issues facing Vancouver’s homeless population, Mayor Sam Sullivan and Councillor Kim Capri are proposing a number of initiatives that will result in more social housing and fewer people sleeping on the streets.
“Given the crisis facing our homeless population, we need to ‘think outside the cardboard box’ to get people off the street and into shelter,” said Mayor Sullivan. “The City must send a strong message to Victoria that we are serious about attracting new provincial investments in social housing in the next few months.”