Premier Horgan,
I urge the government of BC to take back the Little Mountain housing site. The Little Mountain redevelopment has been an appalling failure – an embarrassment to the Government of British Columbia and an insult to the people of Vancouver.
History:
2008—The province started pushing residents out of 224 Little Mountain social housing units. 2009—The buildings were demolished. 2019—The land sits empty.
The Problem:
• Lower and middle income Vancouver families, young people and seniors desperately need homes they can afford.
• Developer still has no definite date to complete the project.
• Promised social housing not replaced except for one social housing building of 53 units.
I urge the provincial government to take back the property, keep this important asset in public hands and use the land to:
• replace all of the social housing lost in the destruction of the Little Mountain community;
• build hundreds more social housing units;
• add new homes with guaranteed below market rents and a guarantee the units will remain rental in perpetuity;
• create affordable ownership options such as co-op and co-housing.
It is time for the government of British Columbia to reverse the sale and start over with a plan to use the land in the interests of those who need homes - and not just those who can afford them.
