As "voices of concern" grew louder, Richmond city council decided to terminate a 90-unit supportive housing project at Cambie and Sexsmith roads.
Richmond Mayor Malcolm Brodie made the announcement on Thursday morning.
“Council listened to the community when it expressed real concerns with this location and we acted,” he said at a press conference.
“Any permanent supportive housing location must meet the needs of both residents and the community. Government failed to do this when it simply relaunched the project at a location that clearly no longer would be appropriate.”
The Minister of Housing and Municipal Affairs, Ravi Kahlon, said he was “very disappointed” with the city’s decision to halt the project, saying it could mean more people living on the streets on in encampments
“That doesn’t work for anyone – the people living on the street or the community,” he said in a media statement.
The project would have addressed the “urgent need for long-term supportive housing in Richmond” as homelessness has increased, Kahlon said.
“The city understands this need, which is why they proposed this site in the first place,” he added. “The decision to now revoke approval for the project is a complete reversal from the city and hurts the overall health of the community.”
The building was earmarked to be built on city-owned land.
City council would have had to approve the rezoning of the property and sign a memorandum of understanding with BC Housing.
The 90-unit supportive housing project was announced last summer but the announcement was followed by rallies opposing it with some people saying it would be a "drug den."
The plan was to eventually close the two temporary supportive buildings, Alderbridge and Aster Place, and move the tenants into the new building at Cambie and Sexsmith roads.
As the provincial election campaign ramped up, BC Conservative politicians, including MLA Teresa Wat and Michelle Mollineaux, who ran unsuccessfully in Richmond-Steveston, joined the protests.
At the end of August, the provincial government announced it was suspending the project to see if there were other suitable sites.
Last week, the province said it was going ahead as originally planned after considering but eventually rejecting five other sites in Richmond.
Brodie said neither city council nor city staff were apprised of the five other locations under consideration and how they were evaluated.
“We hope that our announcement today sends a clear message that supportive housing and housing for our vulnerable residents must be provided in an acceptable location with due process,” Brodie said.
But Kahlon said the sites couldn't be disclosed "for privacy reasons and potential market implications." He added they were willing to disclose the sites to the city "in confidence."
When asked whether he might expect the province to over-ride the decision – as they’ve done recently allowing densification in single-family neighbourhoods through provincial legislation – Brodie said he didn’t want to look at the “legalities” of the situation and noted the city is “creature of the province.”
He added the province can pass “all kinds of legislation” that affect cities.
“I leave it up to the province on what action they want to take but (this project has been) so inconsistently handled in the last four, five months, it’s just made the whole situation untenable for the whole city,” Brodie said.
For Coun. Kash Heed, it was the politicization of the process at the provincial level that made him want an “absolute stop” to the project.
“They’ve interfered way beyond their powers, in my opinion,” Heed told the Richmond News.
In a press release, Coun. Chak Au called this decision a “victory for public opinion.”
He added it was disappointing the provincial government was pushing forward with it while “disregarding public concerns.”
He cautioned the public to remain “vigilant and engaged” as the provincial government might pursue “similar projects elsewhere.”
Au said local governments should have “full decision-making authority” for such projects, including where they are, who operates them, eligibility criteria for who lives in them and project oversight.
“These major decisions should not be made solely by a provincial agency that lacks direct accountability,” he added.
Kahlon said the ministry will be "in touch" with the City of Richmond to look at options "to ensure the homes that are urgently needed in Richmond get built.”
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