Vancouver City Council

MOTION ON NOTICE

Submitted by Councillor Green for consideration at the Regular Council meeting on September 16, 2003

2. Housing and Social Diversity and Inclusion

MOVER: Councillor Green
SECONDER: Councillor Woodsworth

WHERE AS the City of Vancouver is known for its social diversity and inclusion, and sustaining social diversity and inclusion is crucial to the long term social and economic health of the city;

AND WHEREAS the 2010 Winter Games are committed to social inclusion;

AND WHEREAS reductions of Federal and Provincial expenditure on social infrastructure such as social housing and on social services such as income and employment assistance, threaten the City's social diversity and inclusion;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT the City of Vancouver undertake the following actions:

A. THAT, as safe, secure and affordable housing is a necessary condition for social inclusion, staff report back on the development of a comprehensive housing and homelessness action plan for Vancouver that includes:

1) Urgent Measures to ensure a minimum level of shelter for the homeless within the city, including a cold, wet weather strategy, and recommendations to manage the growing number of transient homeless in the city, and the needs of the shelterless;
2) Measures to address the replacement of Single Room Accommodation and to protect Single Room Accommodation residents from displacement;

3) Measures to legalize and regulate secondary suites;

4) Measures to encourage the private sector to deliver affordable rental housing;
5) Measures to facilitate private sector involvement in the expansion of social housing through density bonuses and similar instruments;
6) Initiatives to reduce or limit the time housing units remain vacant pending redevelopment;
7) Initiatives to facilitate and support the development of non-profit rental and co-operative housing in Vancouver; and
8) Designated City staff working with the National Housing Policy Options Team (NHPOT) of the FCM to secure appropriate federal housing policies and programs across Canada to house people in their own communities.

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B. THAT, given issues of affordable housing and homelessness can only be addressed by the co-ordinated action and commitment of all levels of government, the City of Vancouver call on:

1) The Federal and Provincial Governments to fund 2000 units of non-profit rental and co-operative housing annually in British Columbia to serve low and modest income persons and families who cannot afford market rental housing;
2) The GVRD to develop a comprehensive housing and homelessness action plan that addresses the need to sustain social diversity and inclusion throughout Greater Vancouver;
3) The Federation of Canadian Municipalities to revive its national campaign to raise awareness of homelessness, its causes and solutions, and the need for public investment to address homelessness.

C. THAT, given affordable housing alone is insufficient to ensure the social inclusion of those who face challenges in addition to lack of income, which include most of the homeless, a comprehensive action plan be developed in partnership with the Vancouver Coastal Health Authority, the Vancouver Agreement, the OCOG, and the relevant provincial ministries, and co-ordinated with the housing and homelessness action plan, that ensures:

1) The creation of education and training opportunities for those excluded from social and economic participation, including measures to generate employment opportunities to the unskilled and inexperienced;
2) The co-ordinated provision of social services, including income and employment assistance so that all those in need of the services receive them; and
3) The co-ordinated provision of health services, including mental health and addiction services as set out in the Four Pillar Strategy; and
4) The development of capacity of unemployed and underemployed people through educational and cultural.

D. THAT, given that long term social inclusion requires participation in the economic life of the City, that staff report back in November on how the City can work to facilitate, coordinate and monitor the training and employment needs and opportunities for low and modest income persons and families, with an initial focus on the homeless and those at risk of homelessness, including residents of the City's Single Room Accommodation.

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