TEAM says action needed to solve city’s addiction crisis — not plebiscites

VANCOUVER, Aug. 13, 2026 – Residents across the city have told TEAM for a Livable Vancouver that public safety and street disorder is their No. 1 concern. We agree that the status quo is unacceptable. Vancouver needs a new approach that addresses residents’ and businesses’ concerns, while offering a way for those suffering from addiction to heal and get the care they need.

But it’s hard to see how ABC’s proposal to add two plebiscite questions about the addiction crisis to the Oct. 17 civic election ballot will help solve this longstanding problem.

We don’t need a plebiscite to tell us that open-air drug use is unacceptable and a threat to public health and safety. Ken Sim and ABC had four years to deal with this crisis – but failed to deliver solutions. Their proposed plebiscite is just a cynical attempt to distract from their four years of ineffective government.

“The addictions crisis is one of the most important issues facing our city,” says TEAM mayoral candidate Colleen Hardwick. “Vancouver needs serious leadership that recognizes it’s time to change how we’ve been dealing with this problem. That’s why TEAM is focused on a recovery-oriented approach that provides lasting solutions, not short-term political stunts like this plebiscite.”

Getting a handle on the addictions crisis can be done without a plebiscite. TEAM is ready to use evidence-based solutions to tackle it head on.

We’ve seen how large-scale supportive housing is generally poorly delivered and doesn’t meaningfully improve the lives of those suffering, while making surrounding areas unsafe. Instead, TEAM advocates for recovery-oriented housing – a more holistic, affective approach that improves lives and addresses the public interest.

First and foremost, people affected by addiction need to be treated as human beings. They should be offered agency to take back control of their own lives. And at the same time, society needs to acknowledge that a laissez-faire approach to public drug consumption only prolongs their suffering.