Neighborhood Groups Ask Council for 139 New Social Housing Units

April Smith

Posted: Oct 7th, 2009

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Photo by April Smith

Vancouver City Council held a Public Hearing last night to consider zoning by-law amendments for 111 Princess Avenue (formerly 590 Alexander Street): To rezone from DEOD (Downtown Eastside Oppenheimer District) to CD-1 (Comprehensive Development) District to permit a 10-storey residential building with 5.29 FSR (floor space ratio) . The development of 139 supportive housing units is proposed and specifically meets the objectives of the Housing Plan for the Downtown Eastside, and the Memorandum of Understanding between the City and the Province pertaining to the 12 City-owned sites.

Neighborhood organizations such as CCAP, DERA, First United Church, UGM, as well as psychologists and area residents showed up to support the development permit application for the construction of 139 new units of supportive housing at 111 Princess to be manage by PHS Community Services Society in partnership with BC Housing

As promised by the Government of BC, the new units will be "social and supportive housing to accommodate the homeless and those at risk ofhomelessness who are living on the streets or in shelters, and those living in inadequate single room occupancy hotels"

Part of the agreement between BC Housing and the PHS Community Services Society will be to provide around the clock staffing with funding for two qualified housing managers working at all times, 24/7, in order to support the residents and work with members of the local neighbourhood to ensure everyone in our community remains healthy and safe.

The intent of this development is to build a two part building, 7 and 10 storeys respectively with a contemporary design (complying with the environmental Gold LEED standard) which includes expressed circulation, strategies of energy generation, solar orientation and street animation. Two roof terraces will serve the building residents and will provide opportunities for gardening.

Public hearing will continue Thursday, October 8 at 7:30pm Third Floor, City Hall, 453 West 12th Avenue

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(3) Comments

By yeshe-la

Oct 8th, 2009

10:10 AM

11 princess

As well as the various groups paid to show up at city hall to support this project and the continued ghetto-isation of DTES, the hearing was also attended by MANY, MANY RESIDENTS, MOST OF WHOM SPOKE AGAINST THIS PROPOSAL. PLEASE NOTE, NONE OF THEM ARE PAID TO ATTEND. WHY IS THERE NO MENTION OF EITHER THEM OR THE CONTROVERSY SURROUNDING THIS PROPOSAL? THIS POST IS NO MORE THAN ANOTHER SORRY EXAMPLE OF WHOEVER OWNS THE MEDIA DETERMINING ITS CONTENT. SO MUCH FOR "DEMOCRACY" IN OUR FAIR CITY.

By Vancouver Citizen

Oct 8th, 2009

10:10 AM

Neighborhood Groups Ask Council for 139 New Social Housing Unit

I find it distressing that there is no mention that 93% of the Strathcona Residents who responded in writing regarding this proposal are opposed. Or the impact statement submitted by the Elementary School with about 600 children whose parents do daily sweeps of the school grounds to clean up needles, condoms, underwear and human excrement. Or the impact statement delivered by a representative of the 106 year old Japanese Hall which is four doors from the proposed development and the only building returned to the Japanese community after the internment during the second world war which also has a school with 500 children. Or the pleas of people trying to run businesses and create jobs in this area. Or any of the other residents who took the time to prepare and speak before City Council. Or the fact that the low barrier building which previously housed 76 hard to house people at this location had become so crime, rodent and bug infested after just 26 years that it had to be closed and torn down. Or the fact that this area is only zoned for 5 storeys yet the City is considering giving this developer 10 storeys. There is statistical proof that adding more housing for the hard to house will increase crime in this area. There are also statistics that point to decentralizing of these types of services as a means to reduce the impact on neighbourhoods. There are other housing models that offer better solutions for the hard to house but require more effort on the part of the people running them and a willingness for government to look at new ideas. This development is less about helping people and more about warehousing the people who the City wants to get out of sight. I hope that City Council is enlightened enough to support our truly most vulnerable members of society who do not have the ability to speak for themselves. Our children.

By JRobyn

Nov 8th, 2009

6:18 PM

42 e-mails & letters in support, 3 e-mails in opposition

The summary of correspondence, stated in the minutes from the City of Vancouver council meeting on October 6th, states that 42 e-mails & letters were submitted to City Hall in support of this project, and 3 e-mails were sent in opposition. Maybe more people in your neighbourhood were complaining in private, instead of actually taking their concerns to City Hall. Also, over 35 people showed up to speak in favour of the application, where 7 people showed up to oppose it. All of this can be found on the City of Vancouvers website.