Housing advocates and residents in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside are rallying against a rezoning proposal that they fear will hasten gentrification and neglect low-income individuals.
In response to the city’s plan to accelerate the replacement of aging single-room occupancy (SRO) units in the area, the Carnegie Housing Project and various community groups are uniting to voice their concerns. They are scheduled to gather outside City Hall for a press conference before an upcoming public hearing on the proposal.
The proposed changes aim to redefine social housing criteria and allow for taller rental buildings in the Downtown Eastside Oppenheimer District (DEOD) and portions of East False Creek. This adjustment would enable the construction of towers up to 32 storeys high, with a requirement that 20% of units be designated as social housing. However, only a small portion of these units would need to be affordable for individuals receiving social assistance.
Critics argue that this approach would lead to minimal housing options for the most financially disadvantaged residents. According to Devin O’Leary, a researcher and organizer with the Carnegie Housing Project, the planned developments would offer only about four percent of units at shelter rates – equivalent to eight SRO units in a 200-unit building. This falls short of addressing the pressing need for housing, with some individuals enduring lengthy waits on the BC Housing list.
O’Leary highlights the stark disparity by pointing out that it would take nine 32-storey towers to replace a structure like the Empress Hotel SRO on East Hastings, which currently houses 79 units. This, he argues, reveals a fundamental misunderstanding of the housing challenges in the Downtown Eastside and suggests an ineffective solution path.
Moreover, the proposal includes a reduction in development fees for private builders who integrate social or affordable housing into their projects. Advocates believe this measure shifts the burden away from higher levels of government that should be funding more deeply affordable housing units.
Calls are mounting for the city to intensify its efforts in securing funding from provincial and federal authorities and to transfer ownership of shelter-rate housing to community-led organizations rather than private entities.
Over 100 speakers have signed up for the upcoming public hearing, scheduled for Tuesday evening. The outcome of the hearing will be followed by a council vote on the proposed zoning amendments.