Two projects approved by Mayor and Council at last night’s Public Hearing will deliver significant new social housing and affordable rental housing units.

A five-storey mixed-use building at 3302-3036 W Broadway will offer 83 units of affordable rental housing as part of the City of Vancouver’s Rental 100 program, which aims to enable new rental housing construction in Vancouver. In addition, a new 15 storey building in Downtown South (1107 Seymour) will offer 81 units of social housing and four floors of social service space for Positive Living BC and AIDS Vancouver.

“Vancouver has a pressing need for more supportive housing and more affordable rental housing, especially for seniors, students, and young families,” said Mayor Gregor Robertson. “These projects build upon the City’s consistent work to support Vancouver renters, provide urgently needed housing for our most vulnerable residents, and make Vancouver more affordable for residents of all backgrounds.”

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Preliminary numbers from the City of Vancouver’s homeless count show that the number of people sleeping outside at night is declining.

This year’s count, which took place over a 24 hour period on March 13, 2013 found 273 people sleeping outside in Vancouver, which is:

• a decrease of 11% from 2012, which saw 306 street homeless; and
• a 66% decrease since 2008, which saw 811 street homeless, and was the first year of low-barrier shelters.

“The drop in people sleeping outside in Vancouver shows that we’re on the right path when it comes to ending street homelessness by 2015,” said Mayor Gregor Robertson. “Our efforts are working, but there is no question there is more work to do. This is within our grasp.

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Photo credit: BC Housing

We’re continuing our successful partnership with the Provincial Government this winter, with the recent announcement that Minister Coleman will be investing $1 million into opening two new emergency homeless shelters.

The shelters will open on Howe Street under the Granville Street Bridge and across from Mount Saint Joseph Hospital in Mt Pleasant. As part of the partnership, the City will contribute up to $500,000 in building-related costs.

Over the past three years, our partnership with the Province has made a real difference in the lives of our most vulnerable, helping hundreds of people access a warm place to sleep at night, transition into housing, and get the support they need. The number of people sleeping on the street has decreased by over 650. And with several hundred units of new social housing opening in the coming years, we’re poised to make substantial progress on our goal of ending street homelessness in Vancouver by 2015.

Mayor Robertson welcomed today’s announcement from Premier Campbell and Minister Rich Coleman of $225 million in new money for social housing in Vancouver, calling it a major step towards achieving the City’s goal of ending street homelessness by 2015.

“This is great news for Vancouver, and is a major step towards our goal of ending street homelessness by 2015,” said Mayor Robertson.
“Today’s announcement of $225 million brings the total provincial investment for new social housing in Vancouver to $333 million since December 2008. Our partnership with the provincial government is paying off and delivering real results for the people of Vancouver.”

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Mayor Robertson welcomed today’s announcement from Premier Campbell and Minister Rich Coleman of $225 million in new money for social housing in Vancouver, calling it a major step towards achieving the City’s goal of ending street homelessness by 2015.

“This is great news for Vancouver, and is a major step towards our goal of ending street homelessness by 2015,” said Mayor Robertson. “Today’s announcement of $225 million brings the total provincial investment for new social housing in Vancouver to $333 million since December 2008. Our partnership with the provincial government is paying off and delivering real results for the people of Vancouver.”

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