Modular/Homeless Housing in Expensive Neighborhoods?

[whatnext]

Raping and Pillaging? The mayor needs to get a grip.

Seriously, its Maple Ridge, not exactly the "creme de la creme"

[Migrant_Coconut]

He said Maple Ridge went from having 84 homeless people to close to 1,000.

The last homeless count in Vancouver (2017) tallied 1,467 homeless in the 'burbs and 124 in Maple Ridge. I know that politicians like to make stuff up on the spot and all, but come on, seriously?

[CanSpice]

Originally Posted by Migrant_Coconut

The last homeless count in Vancouver (2017) tallied 1,467 homeless in the 'burbs and 124 in Maple Ridge. I know that politicians like to make stuff up on the spot and all, but come on, seriously?

Justin McElroy also took offense to Morden's stats.

[Vin]

Originally Posted by Migrant_Coconut

The last homeless count in Vancouver (2017) tallied 1,467 homeless in the 'burbs and 124 in Maple Ridge. I know that politicians like to make stuff up on the spot and all, but come on, seriously?

How do you know the 124 (2017 figure: definitely higher now) are not hardcore addicts disrupting the peace of residents in Maple Ridge as claimed by the mayor? If everything is nice and dandy I don't think Maple Ridge residents would become increasingly agitated and thus want their elected representative to take actions.


As quoted by the mayor:

“People are dying and this is not working well,” he said. “Tent cities are extremely dangerous environments; there’s a lot of crime that’s generated.”

The mayor noted that in Maple Ridge’s tent city alone, “there’s over 800 crime files that have been generated in less than two years, and police are in there at least once a day.”

In an interview on YouTube, Morden said the issue is beyond just people simply needing a place to live, though – it’s about untreated issues around severe addictions and mental health.

“I would say that the numbers are fairly clear,” said Morden. “We’re talking about 80% of the population that’s out there on the streets is addicted to fentanyl.”

And it’s the drug addiction issue that has led to the seemingly endless cycle of homelessness, rising crime rates, and a tent city that seems to be entrenched in the community


What does the mayor have to gain by lying about stuff like this?

[Sheba]

Originally Posted by Vin

What does the mayor have to gain by lying about stuff like this?

You mean the tent city that was taken down and the province is building supportive modular housing, which Maple Ridge council rejected doing themselves? The mayor is making himself into King Nimby.

[Feathered Friend]

https://vancouver.ca/people-programs...eighbours.aspx


https://vancouver.ca/people-programs...eighbours.aspx

Margaret Mitchell Place (Ash / Olympic Village Canada Line Station TMH)
One 19-year-old temporary modular housing tenant took a photo of herself with her new neighbours to send to her parents, who live in Northwest BC. Another tenant was there with his partner, who is expecting a baby. He expressed appreciation for the two meals they are receiving daily at the building.

A neighbour made the building’s new residents gift bags, including a handmade card, chocolate, dishcloths, and a framed photo she had taken. The nearby co-op residents painted a large card and filled it with welcome messages.

https://vancouver.ca/people-programs...eighbours.aspx


https://vancouver.ca/people-programs...eighbours.aspx


https://vancouver.ca/people-programs...eighbours.aspx

Sarah Ross House (Kaslo / 29th Avenue Expo Station TMH)
Neighbouring families brought cookies and members of a nearby seniors’ society each donated a mug from their cupboard, collecting 100 mugs in total. One resident, who is deaf, put her doll artwork out on tables for neighbours to see.

Tenants at Sarah Ross House talked about how they came to live in the temporary modular housing. One man spoke about having Parkinson’s disease and how he needed housing after he could no longer work his job as a boat painter.

A woman mentioned she had a house, but lost her job and just couldn’t afford to pay for her home anymore. She stayed with friends and spent some nights on the street before moving into the Kaslo building.

Another woman said she couldn’t stop crying when she first moved into the modular housing this past summer because everyone was being so nice to her. She also appreciates that the building takes pets so she can keep her cat, “Champ.”

An 81-year-old senior said she previously spent most nights sitting at a bus stop on Kingsway, trying to stay safe.

https://vancouver.ca/people-programs...eighbours.aspx

[Migrant_Coconut]

Good news for a change. Thanks, Feathered.

Originally Posted by Vin

What does the mayor have to gain by lying about stuff like this?

What does Trump have to gain by insisting that Mexicans are coming across the border with prayer rugs and kidnapped women (no, really)? Attention, and support from the base.

If we're to believe Morden, 800+ homeless this year have packed up and moved from the rest of the city to Maple Ridge for some reason, most of them are genetically predisposed to fentanyl addiction, and the cops have been called 131 times over the last six weeks. This has "truthiness" written all over it - Vancouverites should know better.

[Sheba]

Surrey cleaned up its 'Strip' — and former mayor has some advice for Maple Ridge about homeless camps

Former Surrey mayor Linda Hepner is no stranger to dealing with homeless camps.

Last June, the municipality cleared the tent city on the 'Surrey Strip', which ran along Surrey's 135A Street, and moved more than 100 people into modular housing and shelters.

She's been watching the debate around homelessness in Maple Ridge intently.

"It certainly sounds familiar to me," Hepner told CBC's The Early Edition. "But we approached it in an altogether different fashion."

Earlier this week, the mayor of Maple Ridge, Mike Morden, complained homeless people are "basically raping and pillaging" the community and cited several unsubstantiated claims about homelessness in the area.

He has been vocal in his criticism of the province's plan to create temporary modular housing.

"You're going to have to bite the bullet," Hepner advised Maple Ridge.

"Sit down with the province and work with the business community but make sure they understand that, at some point, a plan has to be in place that will actually change the situation."

Her city's plans to clean up the Strip took over a year of planning.

"We didn't say, 'how are we going to solve this problem?'" Hepner said. "We said, 'what is it going to take to make the people that are in these tent cities able to move on with their lives?'"

That involved finding housing for all those in the camp, figuring out what their individual needs were — whether that meant finding a place that was pet-friendly or that had addiction services nearby — and working with the community ahead of the relocation.

"You can't do it without partners," she said. "You definitely need the province and B.C. Housing to be at the table but you also need the health agencies because you can't move people without services."

Hepner said she understands the concerns around modular housing because she, too, had to face it while in power.

"As much as Maple Ridge is currently experiencing pushback, there was a lot of pushback in Surrey as well," she said.

"You have to listen to all those voices but … you have to be diligent in ensuring that the only way forward is helping people out of that vulnerable situation and getting them off the street."

[Sheba]

City of Maple Ridge mails every B.C. municipality looking for support in feud with government

There are 161 municipalities in British Columbia with mayors and councils — and the City of Maple Ridge is reaching out to each and every one in its dispute with the provincial government.

Maple Ridge Mayor Mike Morden sent a message this week to all members of the Union of B.C. Municipalities, asking them to consider passing a resolution about work in collaboration with local communities that, in Morden's words, "is strictly about the importance of local government autonomy."

However, the sample resolution Morden included in his letter includes a clause saying "The Ministry of Municipal Affairs & Housing has taken unilateral action in Maple Ridge ... setting a dangerous precedent that jeopardizes the autonomy of all local governments."

It comes a month after the province announced they would be building a modular housing complex for Maple Ridge's homeless population in a location where the municipal government asked them to build a seniors' centre instead.

Morden did not respond to a request for comment, but the city's communications manager said council agreed to send the letters earlier this month, and they expect municipalities to add Maple Ridge's request to their agendas in the last week of April.

The City of Penticton has already passed a motion in support.

"We don't feel that the higher levels of government should have that kind of interference in municipal affairs," said Coun. Katie Robinson, who supported her city's motion.

...

However, the municipality Maple Ridge cites the most when arguing there have been issues across B.C. with how the government has put in modular housing complexes won't be giving their support.

"I have seen the letter, I have received the letter, and I've told the mayor I have no interest in getting involved in what I think is a local fight between him and the provincial government," said Nanaimo Mayor Leonard Krog.

...

[Vin]

Originally Posted by Migrant_Coconut

Good news for a change. Thanks, Feathered.



What does Trump have to gain by insisting that Mexicans are coming across the border with prayer rugs and kidnapped women (no, really)? Attention, and support from the base.

If we're to believe Morden, 800+ homeless this year have packed up and moved from the rest of the city to Maple Ridge for some reason, most of them are genetically predisposed to fentanyl addiction, and the cops have been called 131 times over the last six weeks. This has "truthiness" written all over it - Vancouverites should know better.

And Trump convinced you obviously? Come on, have more faith in your countrymen about what they believe in.

Originally Posted by Sheba

You mean the tent city that was taken down and the province is building supportive modular housing, which Maple Ridge council rejected doing themselves? The mayor is making himself into King Nimby.

Read into what the mayor of Maple Ridge actually said. It is all about supportive housing that comes with a plan to clean up the homeless, addicts, etc, and not just about providing free housing without any supportive services. Cuz if you give freebies unconditionally, it will just be a temporary solution, because more will come in anticipating the free housing and handouts, and none of those housed will get any better. Does the SROs and the chaos around many of the subsidised housing sound familiar to you? Drug addiction and homelessness continues even though millions have been spent.

The tent city in Surrey could be down for now, but if there are no follow-ups, more will come, and we can be assured of that. That's why the stigma never goes away from that area of Whalley. We need permanent solutions: not just some band-aid patchup initiatives with money going down the drain.

[bluefox]

Originally Posted by Vin

Read into what the mayor of Maple Ridge actually said. It is all about supportive housing that comes with a plan to clean up the homeless, addicts, etc, and not just about providing free housing without any supportive services.

See, it's weird to see people arguing that new temporary modular housing needs to have these supports because they already do. Literally every single TMH development that has been constructed and opened has had on-site, wraparound supports available 24/7. Vancouver, Richmond, Burnaby, Chilliwack, Nanaimo... name any TMH project proposed or built, and it has the supports that the anti crowd in Maple Ridge claim are somehow not going to be provided in this one case.

Make up stats (all homeless people are fentanyl-addicted zombies that steal and rape, thousands of them moved here in a matter of weeks, yada yada), lie about the services provided on-site. Textbook red herring that's meant to achieve the real underlying motive -- "we just don't want poor people in our city at all" without going so far as to come right out and say so.

[Migrant_Coconut]

Originally Posted by Vin

And Trump convinced you obviously? Come on, have more faith in your countrymen about what they believe in.

That's the point - both Donald and Mike Morden are completely full of it. You already fell for one set of made-up imaginary facts, why not fall for the other?

Originally Posted by Vin

Read into what the mayor of Maple Ridge actually said. It is all about supportive housing that comes with a plan to clean up the homeless, addicts, etc, and not just about providing free housing without any supportive services. Cuz if you give freebies unconditionally, it will just be a temporary solution, because more will come in anticipating the free housing and handouts, and none of those housed will get any better. Does the SROs and the chaos around many of the subsidised housing sound familiar to you? Drug addiction and homelessness continues even though millions have been spent.

The tent city in Surrey could be down for now, but if there are no follow-ups, more will come, and we can be assured of that. That's why the stigma never goes away from that area of Whalley. We need permanent solutions: not just some band-aid patchup initiatives with money going down the drain.

Reading what he said implies that three-fifths of the Metro's homeless people decided this year to pack up and move to Maple Ridge and stir sh*t up... just for the hell of it?

Reading into what he said implies only that he's a NIMBY who considers homeless people little more than vermin. If he wanted 24/7 supportive services (which as bluefox mentioned, already exist for all of Metro Vancouver's shelters), he could've just said that instead of pulling numbers out of his buttcrack. The problem is that Maple Ridge has no solution for the homeless, refuses the province's solution, and will apparently only accept a solution that translates as "move the human filth somewhere else."

Surrey's tent city has been gone for almost a year now, by the way. Thing about PR, reputations don't die easily - thanks to everybody from Ice Cube to Kendrick, we'll always think of Compton, CA as a ghetto no matter how clean it gets.

[Sheba]

Motion passed that could allow modular housing in most Vancouver neighbourhoods

Vancouver city council has passed a motion that could allow the construction of temporary modular housing in virtually all residential areas of the city.

Under current zoning regulations, modular housing is only allowed in areas zoned CD-1, excluding areas zoned for detached homes, duplexes and apartments.

The motion brought forward by One City Coun. Christine Boyle asks staff to find options to change that, and to look for potential sites on private or city-owned land that is zoned for residential development.

It also asks for a similar exploration for creating more permanent low-income housing throughout those same zoned areas.

The latter request passed unanimously Wednesday, which Boyle said she was particularly happy to see her fellow councillors support.

“Right now it’s much harder to build affordable, low-income and multi-family housing than it is to build a big single-family home, and that affects the kind of housing that gets built,” she said.

“We want to support those non-profits and others who are trying to build that housing but are facing a variety of barriers and financial challenges in doing so.”

Staff are now tasked with looking at tools to deliver that housing, including changes to the Vancouver Charter that would allow the city’s planning director to relax residential zoning rules in cases of “low-cost housing for persons receiving assistance.”

Changes to the Vancouver Charter would require action from the provincial government.

Plans for more permanent low-income housing could also include developing a city strategy to acquire residential-zoned land, and see the city buy residential properties to use, initially, for modular housing, and later for permanent rental housing.

Boyle said staff will return to council with their report by the end of the year, but have been urged to make it a priority due to the city’s ongoing homelessness issues.

...

[rofina]

Originally Posted by Sheba

Motion passed that could allow modular housing in most Vancouver neighbourhoods

This is mega

This city is becoming a caricature.

[SFUVancouver]

I hope that this somehow is the thin edge of the wedge to allow 4-6 storey apartment buildings throughout the city, too.

[Klazu]

Yippee. More free prime location housing for those that contribute nothing. I am happy Burnaby is not as crazy as Vancouver which is following Seattle as a city that is dying.

[Aroundtheworld]

Originally Posted by Klazu

Yippee. More free prime location housing for those that contribute nothing. I am happy Burnaby is not as crazy as Vancouver which is following Seattle as a city that is dying.

This is part of the city's 'Housing First' strategy which does work. There was a lot of concern when there was modular housing built in Marpole, however, the outcomes seem to be largely positive and the concerns overblown.

Studies have shown that it costs less to house the homeless than leave them homeless. Allowing the city to build modular housing on lots other than CD-1 means more housing can be built, which means more people getting treatment and an opportunity to improve their lives instead of being caught in the cesspool of the Downtown Eastside.

The fact is there are over 2000 homeless people who live in Vancouver and this is the best solution. Yes, they may contribute less than you do to society but they've also probably been through things you can't imagine, such as sexual abuse and violence.

[cairnstone]

When I moved here 25 years ago. I had to live with roommates in Aldergrove as I could not afford Vancouver. I moved here knowing that the cost of living was almost double Calgary at the time. I choose to stay and bettered my self so that I could buy a starter home (1970 vintage condo). So if I did not better my self do I stay here and become homeless as I never improved my skills that would allow me to get paid more. Or do I do the logical thing and move to a cheaper location. What I see is everyone wants to be in Vancouver. The city and province has did all they can to improve homeless. They have bought 2 or 3 hotels and turned them into SRO. Also they have built 4 or 5 buildings in the last few years. Add the modular housing that is the next version of a shelter and why does it still increase. There are so many people gaming the system so they can stay here for next to nothing. I had a temp worker that moved into one of the Subsidized low income buildings. He refused to work more than a few hours a week on the book as it would change his housing allowance. He has a technical background and makes 45 K in 3 months checking Hydro poles in the summer. The rest of the time he works temp agency or cash. There is so many people like this that should be working full time but dont. I wish I could get a $600 a month studio and work part time by choice.

This is a huge part of the problem as the displace the actual people that need the unit.

[misher]

Its funny that for the cost of 2.5 modular housing units we could purchase a 32 man facility built in 2017.

https://vancouver.craigslist.org/rds...971427145.html



Imagine if our solution to homelessness was just buying a bunch of these and towing them onto shore to empty lots. Just hookup power and sewage and you've solved homelessness cheap.

[SpongeG]

Burnaby's 'onerous' processes delayed affordable housing project: BC Housing

Housing agency director complained of requirements that 'came in piecemeal' in email to city, FOI shows
Kelvin Gawley / Burnaby Now
NOVEMBER 6, 2019


Norland Place, pictured here in July 2019, opened seven months behind schedule.

Burnaby Mayor Mike Hurley spoke with pride at the official opening of Norland Place, the city’s first modular housing project for people who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless.

“For too long people have been literally left out in the cold,” he said at a press conference on Friday, Oct. 25. “For the community, it is a signal that the City of Burnaby is committed to public safety and ensuring there is a place here for everyone."

...

https://www.burnabynow.com/news/burn...ing-1.23999714