By Canadian Press

Vancouver mayor proposes pause on new supportive housing in Downtown Eastside

Jan 23, 2025 | 3:43 PM

VANCOUVER — Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim has unveiled a plan to revitalize the city’s troubled Downtown Eastside, including pausing the construction of net new supportive housing units.

Sim told a Save Our Streets forum, held by a coalition of groups concerned about crime and public safety in B.C., that the proposal is one of three key policy shifts being planned to transform the Downtown Eastside.

The mayor says Vancouver has 77 per cent of Metro Vancouver’s supportive services, including housing and shelters, yet only has about 25 per cent of the population, and pausing construction would allow the city to “focus on renewing and revitalizing the current aging housing stock.”

He says an updated plan in the Downtown Eastside would “encourage a mix of housing, businesses, and services” to break the cycle of hyper-concentrated social services in the neighbourhood.

The third proposal in what Sim termed “a comprehensive plan” to transform the neighbourhood would be a citywide crackdown on organized crime and gangs operating in the Downtown Eastside.

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Sim and many running for his ABC Vancouver party were swept into power in 2022 with a key promise of improved public safety.

“For too long, hundreds of millions of dollars have been spent without delivering meaningful change. It’s time for a new direction, one that prioritizes recovery, inclusivity, and public safety while integrating the (Downtown Eastside) into the broader Vancouver community,” Sim says in a statement.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 23, 2025.

The Canadian Press