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Housing that works for everyone

Kitsilano is a diverse, inclusive, and family-friendly neighbourhood with a range of subsidized housing. We care about the scale, mix of housing, and supports that serve the most vulnerable people in our community.

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Latest Causes

gET INVOLVED

Any approach to housing development in Kitsilano should be considered and thoughtful. The BC Housing proposal for a 12-storey, 140 studio unit "Supportive Housing" project at West 7th/8th and Arbutus is neither of these.

The project's scale is clearly out of step with the neighbourhood. BC Housing has offered limited public notification and consultation, and neighbourhood concerns regarding safety, scale, supports and operation of the project have been dismissed and belittled.

01.

get the facts

Learn about the "Supportive Housing" development at West 7th/8th at Arbutus and what's being proposed behind the scenes.

02.

get involved

Let us know if you'd like to support our community efforts to help guide this proposed housing development.

03.

get heard

Regardless of where you live, in Kitsilano or on the West Side, this proposal will affect you for years to come. You have a voice.

Rendering to scale based on 12-storey proposal by BC Housing

What is "Supportive Housing"?

We welcome housing that supports those at risk. We also want to be a part of initiatives that provide much-needed social and non-market housing options in all communities, including Kitsilano.

However, BC Housing's own definition of "Supportive Housing" is more specific than they would like our community to believe — and is worded carefully to dismiss concerns.

Transparent & meaningful consultation is vital

We support social housing in our immediate neighbourhood that's inclusive and that takes care of our most vulnerable, including women and children.

This community wants to contribute meaningful input into ANY development plans and proposals before they are submitted for approval.

So far, BC Housing has not been transparent or accountable to the community through its neighbourhood dialogue sessions and direct conversations.

Safety is everyone's responsibility

The proposed development is immediately adjacent to a school, daycare centre and children's park. It's also within blocks of many more schools, daycare centres and community centres.

Any plans or development proposals need to consider the overall safety and wellbeing of the community first.

In reality, though, no plans or proposals have been presented so far that address the safety concerns of many of the residents in the neighbourhood.

Any proposal should consider scale and fit

Kitsilano is a generous, inclusive and welcoming community of people. Assisted housing at the right scale, with a considered mix of residents and personalized supports, makes sense.

However, this is not reflected by the current BC Housing proposal which was designed as a fast-tracked, band-aid solution to a far-reaching problem for one single-use group. Furthermore, due to the proposed unit mix, it discriminates against single mothers and fathers, as well as young families.

The proposal does not take any community considerations into account and does not integrate any recovery services. Instead, we believe it will foster stigma and isolation with the very people it's intended to help.

Rendering to scale based on 12-storey proposal by BC Housing

QUICK facts

43,000+

Kitsilano Residents

36

Only 36 Residents Allowed to Engage in Public Information Dialogue with BC Housing

15+

Existing, Well-Supported, Social
Housing Options in Kits

Latest news

Please contact us with any news you think may be relevant to the community.
May 16, 2021
The City of Vancouver Continues to Shut Down Debate

Yet again, this current Mayor and Council seem to forget they were elected to represent the interests of all Vancouverites...

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May 6, 2021
A Better Model – Lloyd Avenue

There are many units and varying types of social housing already in Kitsilano that are embraced and supported by the community because their scale and number of residents make sense in the context of the neighbourhood, and there are appropriate supports in place where they are needed. 

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April 28, 2021
"Housing First" is Not Enough

Much of the feedback around BC Housing’s plan to build 140 units of supportive housing at 8th and Arbutus has pointed to how utterly out of scale the physical building itself is in relation to the rest of the community.

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