City council scraps social housing plan

Businessman balked at '20 per cent' requirement
Mike Howell, Vancouver Courier
Published: Wednesday, May 07, 2008

Businessman Toby Barazzuol wants to make it perfectly clear that he is not opposed to more social housing built in the Downtown Eastside.

But Barazzuol, owner of Eclipse Awards International, does not think small businesses such as his should also have to be in the social housing business.

That was the situation he faced four years ago when he wanted to add a second storey to his business at Heatley and Alexander streets. He discovered that a city requirement under the Downtown Eastside Oppenheimer District plan dictated that 20 per cent of the addition had to be devoted to social housing.

He said the requirement effectively would make him a landlord with tenants. The thought of needing to hire a non-profit to operate the units or managing it himself led him to scrap expansion plans.

Read the rest