In the fall of 2011, the SVNH Community Board of Governors identified housing and homelessness as an area for exploration due to the growing problem of finding affordable housing in Vancouver. As part of our learning, UBC students gathered data about housing in our community and guests visited board meetings to share knowledge. Presentations from the City of Vancouver, Tenant Resource and Advocacy Centre, and Terra Housing provided the board with a broad perspective on the policies and practices that affect affordable housing development and people’s ability to find and/or keep affordable housing. The board also heard about our participants’ experiences with housing insecurity and what we are currently doing to assist our participants. The SVNH goal is to formulate a local Housing and Homelessness strategy that is informed by our community. To that end, we consulted with local residents affected by this issue and with local organizations including faith groups, public services and community agencies that serve the community. This report is a consolidation of a year’s journey. We hope that with this plan SVNH and other local organizations will be less isolated and more effective in addressing the growing problem of housing affordability and the related impacts this has on individuals and families in our neighbourhoods. This action plan is a step in this process of understanding.
Report