Vancouver Council Approves Controversial Housing Plan for Downtown Eastside

The Vancouver City Council has approved a contentious plan that allows for the construction of social housing towers reaching heights of up to 32 storeys in the Downtown Eastside. This decision, taken after a lengthy session during which numerous residents voiced their opposition, includes significant changes to the percentage of shelter-rate housing required in these new developments.

In a vote held on March 2024, the council backed the Downtown Eastside Housing Implementation plan primarily along party lines. The plan amends existing zoning regulations, permitting social housing structures of up to 100 metres tall in specified areas. Under the new provisions, only 20 percent of the units in these towers must be rented at no more than the shelter component of income assistance. Previously, the requirement mandated that 33 percent of newly built government or charity social housing rental units be designated for shelter-rate housing.

City staff supporting the changes stated, “Increasing allowable building heights and densities will improve financial viability of development and will help deliver more new housing.” The adjustments apply to both non-profit and for-profit developments, aiming to provide affordable units in the area.

The plan further reduces the social housing requirement in new mixed rental developments from 60 percent to 20 percent, with the expectation that these units will be managed by a charitable organization. A report presented to the council indicated that the existing inclusionary requirements were not financially viable. Since their enactment in 2014, only two buildings have been constructed in the Downtown Eastside Oppenheimer District, even with substantial government support.

In addition to the height and density changes, the approved plan will permit greater obstruction of views by future developments and relax regulations surrounding heritage building sites. Furthermore, it modifies the conditions for replacing single-room occupancy hotels in the neighbourhood while enhancing protections for tenants displaced by demolitions.

Following the vote, Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim expressed optimism about the changes, asserting that they would “modernize outdated rules that previously limited the city’s ability to address deteriorating housing conditions in one of Vancouver’s most complex neighbourhoods.” He emphasized the need for transformation, stating, “If we carry on with the way things have been for the last several decades, nothing will ever improve.”

Opponents of the plan, however, remain deeply concerned about the potential impact of high-rise developments in the area. A coalition of residents argued that the proposed city plan would not alleviate homelessness. They warned that rising land costs, driven by competition among developers, could hinder access to affordable housing for local residents.

In a letter to The Vancouver Sun, the group pointed out that approximately 6,500 individuals in the Downtown Eastside are living in dilapidated single-room occupancy hotels, while an additional 2,000 individuals are completely without housing. This totals around 8,500 people in the neighbourhood who require shelter-rate housing.

As the city moves forward with this ambitious plan, the ongoing debate reflects the complex balance between urban development and the pressing needs of vulnerable populations in Vancouver. The outcome of this initiative will likely shape the future of the Downtown Eastside and influence housing policy across the region.