Mayor Gregor Robertson has taken a political risk by promising in his second term to address Vancouver’s affordability crunch.
There was a festive mood inside the gymnasium of the Creekside Community Recreation Centre on December 5 when Vancouver mayor Gregor Robertson and the rest of city council were sworn in to office. In the presence of family members, friends, and even a contingent of young cooks from Templeton secondary school, politicians basked in the feeling that they were the chosen ones.
The mayor wore a kilt for the upbeat occasion, which took place at the former Olympic Village. And in his inaugural address, Robertson declared that everyone, yes everyone, should be able to afford to live in Vancouver. “This council may have its political differences, but I trust that we are united in our conviction that in a city this prosperous, nobody should ever be forced to sleep on the streets,” he said.
Following the ceremony and a few photos with the young cooks, the mayor explained to the Georgia Straight that housing will be his top priority over the next three years. “We’ve got to create different types of low- and middle-income housing, use the city’s land more efficiently, and make sure we’re trying new things to break the crunch we’re in,” he said.
Earlier this year, the Vision Vancouver–controlled council approved a 10-year housing and homelessness strategy, which carries the grand title “A Home for Everyone”. Not only does it address street homelessness, the document also promises to alleviate the rental and home-ownership crises in Vancouver. In the gymnasium at the Creekside community centre, the lead councillor on this policy, UBC professor of psychiatry Kerry Jang, claimed that the city’s approach is entirely driven by data and research.
“A lot of what we’ve had to deal with in the last three years has been crisis management—trying to fix all of the problems that existed for many years,” Jang told the Straight, referring to the city’s efforts to open more shelters. “This term is really about looking forward, to looking at the next generation.…It’s about affordability issues.”
