Housing Funding Doesn't Add Up

Trudeau in Vancouver with Sim and Fraser on housing

Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim had a show of force with him today -- Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, federal Housing Minister Sean Fraser, and BC Housing Minister Ravi Kahlon standing at a construction site in the city.

They proudly announced that the federal government would kick in C$115 million to help build 40,000 homes in a decade.

Critics on social media quickly pointed that $115 million divided into 40,000 homes means $2,875 per home and made comments suggesting that would only pay for windows, or perhaps MEC [Mountain Equipment Co-Op] will have a sale on tents...

Vancouverites are disillusioned with Sim these days after he announced he would do away with the Parks Board, and just a few days ago, after over 150 people spoke at City Hall, mostly against, the motion passed on party lines, as Sim's ABC Vancouver party has a majority.

Many are shocked that he fired three of his ABC Parks Board commissioners who were elected into these positions last November. No one saw this coming.

The motion passed meant the political hot potato of disbanding the Parks Board fell on Premier David Eby, who promptly threw it back to Sims to come up with a detailed transition plan... perhaps Eby doesn't want anything to do with this hot mess.

Meanwhile Vancouver residents are also terrified of the prospect of parks that are deemed "temporary" will be developed with condo towers as the Mayor has said the city needs to densify asap, and getting rid of the Parks Board is the quickest way to do this.

Those against the move say the Parks Board is the only grassroots political layer that is directly in touch with residents, as the body looks after not only parks but also community centres and public pools that are sadly crumbling due to not enough funding.

As one has remarked, "You can never have too many parks." 

This is the terrible tussle Vancouver is in -- there is not enough (affordable) housing, but residents aren't ready to give up their single-family homes yet. Sim seems determined to drag the city into densification whether it is ready or not...