City Council ignores about 70 speakers; votes to pause supportive housing
By Jean Swanson and Devin O'Leary
Feb. 26 was a big day for DTES residents and allies to fight for their community at City Hall. Over 300 people came to a rally and/or to speak to council to defend the neighbourhood from the ABC Council's motion to stop new supportive housing in the city. Even though the speakers were eloquent and many told Council that people will die if their motion passes, the Council passed the motion to stop new supportive housing.
Only three councillors seemed to hear to those speakers, with the majority of the ABC party voting with the Mayor to pass his motion.
While DTES residents and advocates lined up to speak at city council, about 300 people rallied outside to oppose the motion. They listened and cheered for over an hour while speakers talked about the welcoming DTES community and the desperate need for housing. The DTES Trojan Horse of gentrification made an appearance along with a skit about gentrification.
Speakers at Council from the Carnegie Housing Project included:
Nicholas who said the average age of homeless people when they die is 49 and noted that he is 47 and about to lose his housing;
Effy: People are on the BC housing list for a decade. They will die.
Phoenix Winter said it made a huge difference to have safe, secure housing. The DTES is not about the buildings. It's actually the people who are like family. People who are homeless are being used as a political football to get more housing in the outlying communities;
Mike McNeeley: showed a piece of charred wood and said this is what keeps people from freezing to death in the DTES in the winter;
Max Harper Campbell said If you're driving by the DTES in a car you can't see the density of social connections. If there's a problem in the neighbourhood everyone knows about it and very quickly forms a plan to deal with it. Concentration of social services is the outcome of people advocating for themselves.
Brianna: "To City Council and Mayor Sim... If you spent even one day in the shoes of a healthcare worker in the DTES, you would be appalled at this motion." "This motion refers to mental health and substance use as the root causes of homelessness... The root cause of homelessness is government neglect of purpose built housing."
Lance: "I need to speak for all the people across Canada, that we need social housing. That we need mental health support." Lance talked about being homeless, having disabilities and addiction, living in an SRO and having a therapist and doctor, and how we need these things for everybody now.
Other speakers included Bonnie Rose who said, "I finally have housing. I can't explain what housing does for your sanity. It changes your whole world"; Kathy Shimizu who warned: "If this motion passes lives will be lost;" and Chris Livingstone of Aboriginal Front Door who said pausing supportive housing is "taking away hope."
You can listen to what the speakers said on Youtube if you go to Vancouver city council, Feb. 26, 2025.
April 5 there will be a byelection in Vancouver to elect 2 new councillors. Hopefully this day at Council will show how important it is to elect folks who will stand up for the DTES. COPE, One City, and Green candidates for the April 5 byelection all came to speak in opposition of the motion.
