Community Meetings on Supportive Housing

If you live or work in Vancouver, please consider attending one of the upcoming community meetings to advocate for many of our Out of The Cold friends and to discuss the Draft Supportive Housing Strategy, with a focus on its eight recommendations and how new supportive housing projects can be successfully integrated into neighbourhoods.

In response to public opposition and criticism, the City of Vancouver has drafted a strategy that focuses on housing for people with mental illnesses or addictions, and includes low barrier housing for people who may not be actively engaged in treatment. The purpose of the Draft Supportive Housing Strategy is to give Vancouver residents a clear understanding of where and how this could happen.

The city owns or controls a number of sites that have been purchased for social housing for singles. These sites could be used for various forms of social housing, including housing for seniors, low-income singles or supportive housing. Here's are lists of the sites, the meeting schedule, and the Draft Supportive Housing Strategy (pdf):

"There's a widely held opinion throughout the city that we need to do more for the homeless," said Vancouver Councillor Peter Ladner. "Our challenge now is going to be 'Are you willing to help people who are out on the street?' Anybody who wants to deal with homelessness should be willing to have this in their neighbourhood." Ladner said it will be a problem if neighbourhoods decide to oppose supportive housing.