Kitsilano resident group rejects proposed social housing building, calls for better model

A vocal group in Kitsilano is once again rejecting plans for a social housing building in the neighbourhood.

The 13-storey building would provide 129 social housing units to low-income people and those experiencing homelessness.

Kitsilano Coalition released a statement on Thursday, arguing that congregate housing is not the appropriate solution for people experiencing homelessness and suffering from mental illness and addiction. 

"We're housing too many vulnerable individuals all in one place,” said Karen Finnan, a member of the organization.

“If you wanted to quit smoking, would you want to be in a building where there's another 120 smokers? So, we feel for people to have the best motivation and the best options to move on to a better life, they're better housed in with all the rest of us.”

Mental health and addictions expert Julian Somers said Finnan's concerns are valid.

"The problem with congregating people altogether is that the culture that they've been apart of on the street becomes the culture of the building. And there really is no opportunity for mobility, for an experience of basic change,” he explained.

But the province supports shared living and says the model has proven to work.

"It's a really positive thing to respond to the homelessness crisis we face as opposed to leaving people in their vehicles, leaving people in tents and parks, and letting that problem just get worse,” said David Eby, B.C.'s Attorney General and minister responsible for housing.

“(The model) is very similar to other buildings that have opened up in other parts of Vancouver where people were concerned and then the building opened and then they realized their concerns were misplaced,” he added.

Eby said he sympathizes with the group and will ensure their concerns are addressed.

"There's not a lot of social housing on the west side of the city and it's not very common that people are asked to support this kind of housing,” he said. “I want to reassure to people if issues did come up, that I would be quick to respond to them because we need housing like this across the city.”

Darrell Burnham, the CEO of Coast Mental Health, which operates a number of congregate affordable housing units, agrees with Eby and said the model can be a success.

“I think it’s safe to say that most of our sites are invisible to the community as the tenants go about their daily lives,” he said in a statement.

“It’s very common, almost the norm, to have community pushback and concerns about the development, but with competent management and good communications, these concerns generally go away within the first year of operation.”

But Somers, who is also a professor at SFU, strongly disagrees and said there are more effective ways to address the homelessness crisis.

He said the best option for those overcoming addiction is independent, recovery-focused housing, which allows people to effectively reintegrate back into society.

"Why is it that we are not embracing an evidence-based approach that costs the same, reduces crime far more effectively, reduces medical emergencies far more effectively?” Somers said.

The city is holding a public hearing on the proposal on June 28.