City of Vancouver tackles homelessness with $30 million dollars housing plan

City of Vancouver tackles homelessness with $30 million dollars housing plan

  • Community
  • Vancouver
October 14, 2020

Homeless had become a serious issue in Vancouver amid COVID. A particular severe case occurs at Strathcona Park, where over 400 tents are put up as people with facing financial crisis cannot afford to find a home and people being forced out of shelter due to social distancing measure.

Homeless camps where shut down at Oppenheimer Park forcing homeless people to CRAB park which was shut down shortly after. To date, 547 people living unsheltered and 1,548 with no fixed address in a sheltered location and the numbers were under count. The number of homeless people and encampment throughout Vancouver raises security and health concerns.

On Thursday October 8th, The City of Vancouver has unanimously passed a COVID housing action plan worth $30 million dollars to tackle the situation. The move was important as we expect more and more people facing financial hardship will eventually take to the street when the economy show no sign of recovery and the potential second wave is already taking place.

The plan is to buy or lease vacant hotel rooms, apartment building and single room occupancy hotel (SROs) to provide shelter during the pandemic. The city will also include its East Vancouver motel and hotel in Kitsilano for shelter use. The plan will start from Strathcona Park and move to other areas when cleared. It should resolve the crowdedness within the area.

We believe this is an important move to temporarily ease the homeless situation. The community worried in terms of health and safety living around unusual number of homeless people. They live in proximity without proper protective equipment and distancing. The sharing of public washroom and potential criminal activity. Although the city had sent its force to frequently patrol the area and clean public facility, it is not sustainable in the long run when more people take to the street.

There are an ample of rental housing supplies in Greater Vancouver now. This will be a good opportunity for relief landlords from their pressure while resolving a public issue. It is unlikely that all landlord will be happy or willing to rent to homeless people, but it should help landlords that are also facing financial hardship.

“Any funding commitment will not be made until after this month’s election.”

Yoyoe Lu

Founder and managing principal
yoyoe@claridgeadvisors.com

Yoyoe is the founder and managing principal of Claridge. She was ranked one of Vancouver’s top real estate agents. Currently, Yoyoe is our strategic mind leading the team to success. Her affiliation with industry professionals put her ahead of our competitors. Yoyoe is also part of the Rotary Club of West Vancouver, Canadian Homebuilders Association, Urban Land Institute and Urban Development Institute.

Ashley Osborn

Development Site and Investment Specialist
ashley@claridgeadvisors.com

Ashely is our lead land and investment advisor. He has been consistently featured in the annual top 100 real estate deals of British Columbia ranking. With over $15 billion worth of domestic and international real estate investments under his belt, Ashley is one of the top agents in the province. His 20 years of real estate and financial experience make him a master in negotiation and acquisition.

Patricia Wong Chong

Investment and Leasing Specialist
patricia@claridgeadvisors.com

Patricia is our investment and retail leasing advisor. Her experience in brokerage and market research analysis has helped her comprise over $550 million in commercial real estate transactions. Patricia is responsible, detail-oriented, and professional. Her strong work ethic and positive attitude have led her to surpass all her competitors.

Schumann Li

Land Assembly & Residential Specialist
schumann@claridgeadvisors.com

Schumann is a top-producing realtor in the Lower Mainland with more than 30 years’ experience. Over the years, Schumann hasn’t just garnered awards, but the trust of countless customers. Her clients continually refer to her outstanding professionalism, work ethic and poise.

Wendy Kaip

Sales Associate
wendy@claridgeadvisors.com

Whether it’s decoding city policies, strategizing relocation plans, home sellers looking for a trustworthy advisor to unlock their property’s maximum potential- Wendy is here to help every step along the way.

Prior to real estate, Wendy spent over a decade in the mining industry with her attention to detail, keen negotiation skills, extensive network and strong reputation for getting the deal done, bringing endless value to her current real estate clients.

Whether you are thinking about selling to a developer, or have more questions about commercial real estate, Wendy invites you to connect, to see how she can utilize her expertise and team to help create value and maximize your real estate goals.

Simon Chan

Managing Broker
simon@claridgeadvisors.com

Simon is the managing broker of Claridge Real Estate Advisors Inc. His expertise has helped our agents resolve many difficulties. Not only is Simon knowledgeable with real estate legislation, but he is also very detail orientated. With Simon on our team, our agents are confident to conduct businesses and will always get the support they need to ensure they’re not walking on dirty water.

Frank Zhou

Analyst
frank@claridgeadvisors.com

As the analyst of the company, my key job is to help brokers to find marketable clients and locate feasible development sites by collecting and analyzing up-to-date market transaction data and conducting target market and property-level research. Meanwhile, I am also in charge of maintaining the company’s property database to ensure accuracy and comprehensiveness and continuously upgrading the level of knowledge by staying up to date with hot topics, and market trends, and incorporating findings into everyday work. Before joining the company, I worked for CR Group as a real estate investment manager, focusing on capital raising, equity and debt financing, acquisition and renovation. I hold 2 master’s degrees, one in Housing Management and the other in Economics.

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