Homes for Everyone: COPE releases homelessness plan

Immediate
Release: Oct 22, 2008

Homes for Everyone:

COPE releases
homelessness plan

Vancouver’s
homeless population has mushroomed in just three years—37 percent more people
are now living on Vancouver’s
streets than in 2005.

COPE is releasing a 10-point homelessness plan
that includes using Little Mountain’s 200 empty units for social
housing, requiring developers to incorporate 20 percent
affordable housing in new developments, and implementing a replacement policy
for the Downtown Eastside so that for every unit of market housing built, an
equivalent unit of affordable social housing is also constructed.

“It costs about $55,000 a year to provide
services to a homeless person, but it only costs $7,300 to $13,370 to provide them supportive,
social housing,” said COPE council candidate Ellen Woodsworth.

Further, the COPE plan will protect existing low-income housing by enforcing current
bylaws, using the City’s Property Endowment Fund to build more affordable
housing, and freezing conversion of rental accommodation to strata title
condos.

“Vancouver residents
are, frankly, embarrassed that homelessness is growing and affordability is
disappearing,” said COPE Cllr David Cadman. “This NPA council reversed a policy
of one third low-income at South East False Creek and a have stood by while
slum landlords allow their properties to fall apart, necessitating their
closure. It’s unacceptable that good housing—such as that at Little
Mountain—stand vacant while people sleep on the sidewalk.”

Information:
Ellen
Woodsworth 604-328-8230

Cllr David Cadman 604-512-1039