Vancouver city council could look to religious groups for affordable housing
A motion coming to council Wednesday will ask staff to look at how faith-based groups could play a bigger role in increasing affordable housing stock in Vancouver.
Many religious groups own substantial amounts of land in the city, according to ABC Voun. Rebecca Bligh who will be putting the motion forward.
"What's unique about faith-Based groups is that they have land holdings, very valuable land holdings, but also a mandate by their congregations to do social good,” Bligh said in an interview with CTV News.
The motion highlights that many of these properties are aging quickly but that faith-based groups lack staff with the knowledge required to initiate major redevelopments.
"These faith-based groups are often sitting on land that is actually tax free, so church land that does not pay property tax," Bligh said, adding that "generally" these properties don’t have mortgages.
But faith-based groups also own properties that include soup kitchens and community spaces, in addition to houses of worship.
"Those types of properties that we own, they tend to be low rise, maybe one to three storeys – top," said Matthew Furtado, the director of communications of Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Vancouver.
"So in specific areas, especially ones that are very close to transit, there's space to go vertical in those situations,”
Redevelopment is something that’s already being done First United Church on East Hastings Street.
"We tore down our church and we're redeveloping our space into 11 stories, seven floors of Indigenous social housing and four floors of social services in the community, for the community,” said executive director Amanada Burrows.
She says she supports Bligh’s motion “in principle”, as long as it includes one major piece.
"Any conversation about land, certainly land use by the church and the redevelopment of it, must have Indigenous voices at the table,” she said.
Vancouver is the most expensive city in Canada for renters, and has the lowest vacancy rate.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Ontario Premier Doug Ford threatens to cut off energy to U.S. in response to Trump's tariffs
Ontario Premier Doug Ford has threatened to cut off energy supply to the U.S. in response to the tariffs President-elect Donald Trump plans to impose on all Canadian imports.
Elon Musk calls Justin Trudeau 'insufferable tool' in new social media post
Billionaire Elon Musk is calling Prime Minister Justin Trudeau 'an insufferable tool' in a new social media post on Wednesday. 'Won't be in power for much longer,' Musk also wrote about the prime minister on 'X.'
Sask. hockey coach convicted of historic sex crime back on day parole after 'behavioural concerns'
A former WHL coach found guilty last year of sexually assaulting a teen boy is back on day parole.
The Body Shop Canada to be sold to Serruya Private Equity
The Body Shop Canada is due to be sold to a company led by the co-founder of frozen yogurt chain Yogen Früz.
Trudeau will have to 'kiss the ring' to achieve smoother bilateral relations with Trump: John Bolton
If Prime Minister Justin Trudeau wants to get on U.S. president-elect Donald Trump's good side for the sake of a smooth bilateral relationship, he'll likely have to be openly deferential, says former U.S. National Security Advisor, John Bolton.
Luxury real estate brokers charged in federal indictment with sex trafficking in NYC
Two luxury real estate brokers and their brother have been charged with luring, drugging and violently raping dozens of women over more than a decade.
Alberta family doctor suspended for unprofessional conduct
An Alberta family doctor and veterinarian has been suspended for unprofessional conduct.
Police locate labyrinth of tunnels connecting tents to generator in Hamilton encampment
Hamilton police say that they discovered a series of 'man-made holes and tunnels' during a patrol of a downtown encampment earlier this week.
Certain foods may disrupt your body's fight against cancer cells, study says
The food you eat may be affecting your body’s ability to fight cancer cells in the colon, according to a new study.