With the on-going Opioid public health crisis and now the COVID-19 public health crisis, it is more important than ever for Vancouver to strengthen its efforts to be a fairer, more compassionate city.

Vision Vancouver is committed to:

Real Action to Address Poverty and Homelessness

• Expand Modular Housing - Quick-to-build modular housing has proven effective in providing safe and affordable housing for people who are homeless. Until permanent housing options are available, there is an on-going need for more modular housing units to be constructed where health and social supports can be made available on site;
• Implement a Poverty Reduction Strategy - Efforts are needed by all levels of government to reduce poverty and all of its harmful social effects, including homelessness and now the economic consequences of the COVID-19 Crisis. In coordination with the Province and the federal government, Vision supports the further development and implementation of Vancouver’s Poverty Reduction Strategy - started under the Vision-led Council - as a way to increase social equity and reduce poverty in our city.
• Address Indigenous Poverty and Homelessness - The stark overrepresentation of Indigenous people among people who are homeless reflects the impacts of colonialism and intergenerational trauma experienced by many Indigenous peoples. Vision is committed to continuing engagement with Indigenous partners to develop both short and long-term goals, targets, and sites for Indigenous housing and wellness in the region, including identifying specific targets for Vancouver;
• Expand Winter Drop-in Space - Vision believes all residents should have a safe, warm place to be inside during the cold winter months and encourages the Park Board and our community centres to identify additional locations for drop-in space for people who are homeless during cold weather;
• Reduce Transit Fares for Children and People with Low Incomes - Vision supports efforts to fund a social-fare program to reduce the cost of transit and make life more affordable for low-income individuals and families with children.

Real Action to Address the Opioid Crisis

• Overdose Prevention Sites in Supportive Housing - making these life-saving centres available in housing where overdose deaths are occurring can save people from having to use alone;
• Clean Drug Supply - access to clean, prescription options for people suffering from addiction is essential to preventing overdose deaths;
• Public Awareness - more public awareness programs are needed to educate people about the dangers of opioids and how to get help, with a strong focus on de-stigmatization and prevention among teens and children.

Real Action for More Child Care

• Increase access to high-quality, affordable, licensed child care - Vision understands that lack of access to safe, affordable child care places both financial and emotional stresses on families and that more action is needed to open up child care spaces for licensed, not-for-profit child care providers on both a stand-alone basis and in collaboration with the Vancouver School Board (see the action taken by Trustee Allan Wong);




Real Action for Good Jobs and a Living Wage

• Green Jobs - Under Vision leadership, Vancouver became a hotbed for green and tech jobs. Understanding the needs of this sector is critical to supporting the city’s future economic growth;
• Fair Wages - Vision is proud of leading the City to becoming Canada’s largest living wage employer;
• Tackle Precarious Work - Vision supports strong action to counter the impacts of precarious work including advocating for job benefits like paid sick leave as a basic right of all workers – the importance of which has been made clear by the COVID-19 Crisis;
• A Jobs Plan Where Everyone Matters - On-going leadership from City programs is needed to provide support for people under-represented in the workforce;
• More Affordable Housing - Affordable housing for workers of all incomes and in all neighbourhoods will help both large and small businesses attract and retain the best and brightest. Developing more affordable housing, especially rental units, is a long-standing Vision commitment;
• Public Transit - Vision is a champion of better public transit. This includes a strong commitment to extending the Broadway Subway to UBC.

Real Action for an Engaged City

• Local Election Reform - Vision supports a Citizens Assembly-like review of the structure of the city’s elected offices and electoral processes to ensure that how we elect people and govern the city best reflects the wishes of the people who live here;
• A Commitment to Inclusion - Vision believes it is important for the City to engage with people who continue to be underrepresented in city decision-making, including millennials, newcomers and urban Indigenous people, while recognizing that each group is diverse and has many points of community connection.
We Are Committed to Reconciliation - Vision is committed to a sustained relationship of mutual respect and understanding with local First Nations and the Urban Indigenous community including incorporating a First Nations and Urban Indigenous perspective into our work and decisions.

We Believe Women - Vision is an ally to survivors of sexual assault and sexual harassment - and will stand strong to ensure all people are treated with dignity and respect.