Critics are denouncing Vancouver Mayor Ken SimB次元官网网址檚 plan for revitalizing the Downtown Eastside neighbourhood, with former councillor Jean Swanson saying his proposal to pause supportive housing construction is B次元官网网址淭rumpian.B次元官网网址�
Swanson, an anti-poverty activist, says SimB次元官网网址檚 plans to pause net new supportive housing units in Vancouver and reduce the concentration of social services in the Downtown Eastside are B次元官网网址渘ot compassionateB次元官网网址� and are akin to victim blaming.
She says housing is fundamental to health and safety, and with about 3,000 people on the cityB次元官网网址檚 supportive housing wait-list, people B次元官网网址渨ill probably die on that wait-listB次元官网网址� if no new units are built.
Russell Maynard, who says he has worked in community harm reduction for more than 20 years, says in a post on social media platform X that SimB次元官网网址檚 plan B次元官网网址渋s the wrong solution to the right problem.B次元官网网址�
Sim announced his plan at a forum on Thursday held by the Save Our Streets coalition, a group of businesses expressing concerns over crime and public safety in places such as VancouverB次元官网网址檚 Downtown Eastside.
He said 77 per cent of Metro VancouverB次元官网网址檚 supportive services were located in Vancouver, which has about 25 per cent of the regionB次元官网网址檚 population.
Coun. Peter Meiszner, who is a member of SimB次元官网网址檚 ABC Vancouver partyB次元官网网址檚 majority on council, says on X that B次元官网网址減ositive change is comingB次元官网网址� through the plan, which he calls a B次元官网网址渓ong overdue change of direction in city policy to build a healthier neighbourhood.B次元官网网址�
Swanson said she wasnB次元官网网址檛 surprised by SimB次元官网网址檚 announcement, noting the council had already got rid of a number of supportive housing units in the city since coming to power in 2022.
B次元官网网址淚f thereB次元官网网址檚 no new supportive housing, weB次元官网网址檙e going to get more homelessness,B次元官网网址� she says.
B次元官网网址淪o he may think that heB次元官网网址檚 integrating Downtown Eastside with the rest of the city by making more people homeless. But those people have to go someplace, and itB次元官网网址檚 not going to benefit anybody to have thousands more people on the streets.B次元官网网址�
SimB次元官网网址檚 press secretary, Kalith Nanayakkara, said further details of the plan would be made available closer to the date when Sim presents a motion on the proposal to council.
