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March 17, 2006
The final bid for homes fails
Southeast False Creek development loses affordable aspect.
PAT JOHNSON
Despite a last-minute plea from a Vancouver synagogue and dozens
of other concerned Vancouverites, it appears that the last gasp
of activists seeking to maintain the mix of social, affordable and
market housing in the redeveloped Southeast False Creek area of
downtown has failed.
On March 7, a delegate representing Ahavat Olam Synagogue addressed
a public hearing on the future of Southeast False Creek. Penny Goldsmith
told councillors that her synagogue does not want to see the proposed
housing plan altered.
"In the Jewish community, the high cost of housing has been
identified as the key issue for those who are struggling to make
ends meet in an environment where there is an increasing incidence
of poverty among young people, families, seniors and singles of
all ages," Goldsmith told the public hearing before the final
vote was taken, which eliminated all but 20 per cent of the social
housing aspect.
The die had been cast earlier, when council voted 6-5 to revise
the plan for the area. For a decade, city planners and community
activists had worked together to develop a comprehensive plan that
would have seen a mixed housing stock created in this last major
block of Vancouver real estate available for development. The plan,
which was approved under the last council, would have had one-third
of the housing in Southeast False Creek developed and sold at market
rates. Another third of the housing would have been subsidized for
social housing and a final one-third would have been classified
affordable middle-income housing. Following the election of the
Non-Partisan Association council in November, the plan was revisited.
Southeast False Creek comprises 32 hectares (about 80 acres) of
former industrial lands, most of which is owned by the city. Funding
for the social housing components would have come from the city's
Property Endowment Fund – about $50 million in city funding
was anticipated to permit the housing mix – but in a final
decision March 7, councillors voted to reduce affordable housing
from 33 per cent to 20 per cent and to eliminate the requirement
for an affordable component. Five licensed child-care facilities
were also part of the earlier plan, but this number was reduced
to three by the same council decision.
Goldsmith, who is active in the Jewish community's anti-poverty
agency, Yad b'Yad, and also works professionally for PovNet, an
online poverty activism and resource service, spoke to the Independent
after the decision.
"We all know how much housing is needed in this city,"
she said. "At the public hearing, 34 out of the 35 people who
spoke, spoke against it. And [council] still just voted along party
lines."
In December, Canadian Jewish Congress addressed Vancouver city council
on behalf of the Jewish community, the Jewish Federation of Greater
Vancouver, the Jewish Nonprofit Housing Society, the Jewish Family
Service Agency and the Council on Poverty, calling for continuation
of the social and affordable housing plan.
Goldsmith said her congregation wanted to speak out on the future
of the neighborhood.
"It's a synagogue that is very concerned about social justice
issues and Rabbi David Mivasair asked me to speak on behalf of Ahavat
Olam because the congregation continues to be concerned that we
need more social housing," Goldsmith said.
Open houses next week offer the public an opportunity to review
the revised plans for the area as they now stand. The open houses
take place on Wednesday, March 22, 5 -8 p.m., at Heritage Hall,
3102 Main St., and on Saturday, March 25, noon-4 p.m., in the Tyee
Room at False Creek Community Centre, 1318 Cartwright St., on Granville
Island.
Pat Johnson is editor of MVOX Multicultural Digest, www.mvox.ca.
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