Vancouver is in a housing crisis and more than 2,000 people across the City of Vancouver are experiencing homelessness.
Creating warm, safe homes with supports for people who are at risk of or are experiencing homelessness in our communities continues to be a top priority for BC Housing and the City of Vancouver.
In an effort to reduce homelessness, a new building has been proposed for a site at the northeast corner of Arbutus and West 8th Avenue.
Public consultation on the proposed 140-unit housing tower immediately north of SkyTrain’s future Arbutus Station will take place next month.
The largely vacant lot at 2086-2098 West 7th Avenue and 2091 West 8th Avenue would be redeveloped into a 164 foot tall, 13-storey residential tower. A rezoning application had been submitted by BC Housing to the City of Vancouver.
Supportive housing is often a temporary housing step for its residents — the transition between shelters and social housing. In the case of this location, it is expected to be a permanent home for many residents.
As part of the rezoning process, the City will be hosting a virtual open house where residents can review the plans and provide feedback on the rezoning application.
Have your say by participating in the open house taking place from November 1s to November 21st on the City of Vancouver’s Shape Your City website.
Last modified: October 18, 2021
Interesting that your article does not mention anything about the park, pre school, and elementary school immediately adjacent to this proposed project. The city is proposing that 140 men with very substantial addiction and mental health challenges be permanently housed in a neighbourhood full of children. The park will become unusable, children will no longer be safe walking to school, and parents will live in fear while their kids are at school. Yes there is a need for housing but this is clearly a terrible location for this type of housing. On the other hand, if the city proposes a project on this site that houses women with children transitioning out of abusive circumstances then this neighbourhood will be fully supportive.
Here to echo Jeff.
The picture you have provided of the development is not actually a good depiction of the location. It is made to look bigger and more open. That is a very tight road and much closer to the park and the school. the picture is to once again mislead vancourites to believe the city is trying to deal with the issue with homelessness. Instead they are just trying to rush a project without listen to those who would be effected. This building is to large for the area and will not provide the services these people will need. They are also not taking into consideration other vulnerable residents of the area. Elementary and preschool children and a womens recovery centre next door. The city is saying this is an emergency and it is needed. However the city has ignored this problem for years and is now rushing unsuitable housing. it is not taking into consideration what those residence need to improve their lives nor the safety of the other residents. Once again City Hall is turning a blind eye to the city residents. The ask for our feedback and then ignore it. Leaving the residents to deal with the fall out.
There are children and schools in every neighbourhood in every city and every town all over the world. Presence of children and schools is actually not that helpful of a criteria for choosing where to build things.
I’m supportive of this type of housing WITH adequate health care support, public education and when necessary, security measures. I’m one person, and this is not to generalize, but you asked for comments. I had challenging experiences when I lived in Venice and San Francisco near transitional type housing. In both neighbourhoods, there weren’t adequate support systems in place, and I had a friend assaulted on my street and I was confronted in an aggressive way on more than one occasion by people that lived in the housing. I hope that Vancouver has experience with this and will take appropriate steps to support people in a community-minded way, in and out of this housing complex. I also note that residents don’t like the height of the complex and this is the way of things now if we want to offer affordable housing in this city and address climate change.