Councillors question City of Vancouver’s definition of social housing

Excerpt: 

Social housing used to mean housing for low-income people.

In Vancouver, social housing means another thing.

In 2014, the ruling Vision Vancouver party of then-mayor Gregor Robertson changed the definition of social housing.

Social housing in Vancouver now means entire residential developments where a majority of the housing units are going to be rented for as much as the market can bear.
 
……………
 
Robertson and his Vision Vancouver team were on their second term at City Hall when they changed the definition of social housing in 2014. They believed that the meaning of social housing needed to be updated.

As a result, social housing came to be defined as an entire development where 70 percent of the dwelling units are rented at market rates and only about a third—30 percent—of the homes charge lower rents.

In the Downtown Eastside, a whole project qualifies as social housing with 70 percent of residential units charging varying rates and the remaining 30 percent renting at the shelter allowance for people on government assistance.

Full Article:

March. 11, 2020, The Georgia Straight: https://www.straight.com/news/1371006/councillors-question-city-vancouvers-definition-social-housing

Related Posts