TEAM FOR A LIVABLE VANCOUVER SAYS CITY’S SOCIAL HOUSING PLAN IS UNDEMOCRATIC, INEFFECTIVE, AND UNCLEAR

20-STOREY TOWERS WILL BE ALLOWED  ACROSS LARGE AREAS WITH NO REZONINGS OR PUBLIC HEARINGS

VANCOUVER (July 14, 2025) -- A plan to allow 20-storey social-housing towers across wide areas of Vancouver without rezonings or public hearings is undemocratic and will provide little affordable housing, says TEAM for a Livable Vancouver.

“People should have a say before 20-storey towers are plunked down next door,” says former TEAM City Councillor Colleen Hardwick. “There would be some excuse if all the units were cheap, but under this plan, only 30% have to be for lower-income people. The rest of the rents can be as high as anywhere else.”

TEAM believes the plan will  come as a big surprise to many people. There has been little media coverage, and the City has only done a survey and two short public-engagement sessions. “This is City Hall’s usual pattern of springing huge changes on people,” says Hardwick. “By the time they learn about it, the excavators are already firing up next door.”

The Social Housing Initiative allows 20-storey towers in about one-third of the city, and six-storey social housing buildings in about one-fifth of the city – with no rezonings or public hearings required. Only 30% of the units in social-housing buildings must be priced for lower-income people, while 70% can be at market rates. The plan goes to City Council later this year.

TEAM agrees that Vancouver needs social housing, but thinks neighbourhoods should have a say in how that happens. TEAM also agrees with the many planners and experts who say 20-storey high-rises don’t belong in low-rise areas, and that many social-housing residents, especially families, do better in lower-rise buildings than towers.