 Cracks
in the Foundation: Solving the Housing Crisis
in Canada;s Poorest Neighbourhood
Published September 2006 by Pivot Legal Society.
EXTRACT FROM THE REPORT:
Executive Summary
“When the world arrives in Vancouver
in 2010, what kind of city will they find?”
– Mayor of Vancouver, Sam Sullivan in his inaugural
speech, 2005
If no new low-cost housing is built and the
current stock of low cost housing continues to close and deteriorate
at its present rate, visitors to Vancouver in 2010 will see
nearly three times as many homeless people living on the streets
of Vancouver as they see today, according to findings in Pivot
Legal Society’s housing report, Cracks in the Foundation.
Visible poverty and homelessness will be apparent throughout
the city, as all shelters in Vancouver are currently operating
at or near capacity.
The authors of this report demonstrate that
this unprecedented level of homelessness will have significant
economic and social consequences for us all. As well as tarnishing
our reputation as one of the world’s most livable cities
it will:
• result in more crime, disorder, drug
use and dealing throughout the city;
• add to the taxpayer’s burden due
to increased spending in social services, health care, ambulance
costs, and criminal law enforcement; and, |
|
•
impact tourism, small businesses and property owners.
Our current level of homelessness is costly.
Between 2002 and 2005 the cost of homelessness to Vancouver’s
taxpayers rose 49 percent from $25,120,000 to $51,460,000
(based on a B.C. Government cost assessment of services that
includes hospital, ambulance, police incarceration, emergency
shelter and food aid).
According to government figures, it requires
up to $40,000 per year per to provide the above services to
a homeless person. In contrast, according to the City of Vancouver,
the cost to provide supportive housing is between $7,300 to
$13,370 per year. Factoring in the cost of building housing
units, it would cost between $22,000 and $28,000 per person
per year to build social housing for those who are currently
homeless.
The provision of housing for those who are currently
homeless would represent a savings to taxpayers of between
$10,328,000 and $15,492,000 per year. The overall human and
social benefits of housing our homeless neighbors would be
incalculable.
The Housing Plan for the DTES (2005) produced
by the City of Vancouver (the “City”) states that,
“Homelessness will likely increase unless existing low-income
housing is preserved or replaced.” The City has also
determined that we require a net increase of 800 units of
social housing per year to meet the demand for low-cost, supportive
housing.
Continued...
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