麻豆传媒映画

Is life better today for the average Vancouverite than it was in 2008?

It鈥檚 a question the Courier put to Mayor Gregor Robertson this week as he spends his final days in office before he retires from 10 years on the job. His answer might offend some readers, others will likely agree with his words.

As he looked back on his, Robertson acknowledged the job of mayor makes him a target for criticism鈥攖hat when housing becomes out of reach for renters and potential buyers, or people continue to die on the streets from opioid poisonings, the finger gets wagged in his direction.

But, as he often explains and did again from his office Thursday, the provincial and federal governments have a big part to play in how cities function and how their involvement鈥攐r lack of it鈥攁ffects the well-being of residents.

The city doesn鈥檛 regulate the real estate market, the city isn鈥檛 directly responsible for housing or health care. The city doesn鈥檛 fund Skytrain extensions or subways to the University of B.C.

The mayor pointed out those distinctions in answering a series of questions, most of which were related to the crises of affordable housing and homelessness. He also talked about his choices for the person who will replace him in the Oct. 20 election.

But back to that first question: Is life better today for the average Vancouverite?

Robertson provided a long answer. It鈥檚 been condensed and edited, as have the majority of his responses below.

Here鈥檚 the first part:

Is it better? In many respects, the city has become more liveable. Our economy has led the country the past five years in growth and diversity. That鈥檚 created huge opportunities and improved wages. We鈥檝e seen good gains on transportation鈥攂ig improvements with transit, walking and biking. I鈥檓 really proud of Vancouver鈥檚 success story of hitting over 50 per cent walk, bike and transit in 2015鈥攆ive years ahead of schedule. We鈥檝e got to keep advancing that with the Broadway subway and bus and bike investments to keep supporting that shift.

The second part:

Overall, we鈥檙e considered a world-leading city. We鈥檝e joined the top cities, not just in liveability, but also economically and in innovation. I鈥檇 say that innovation extends to inclusion. Our work on refugees, LGBTQ2 and reconciliation with Indigenous people has been ground breaking in Vancouver. Even though we struggle with affordability, I think overall we鈥檙e really focused on inclusion and deepening community in Vancouver. I鈥檓 really proud of that work and hopeful for the city going forward because we can鈥檛 take our relative harmony for granted. Studies on isolation and the problems many cities have with racism and homophobia and discrimination are troubling and we need to continue being a beacon.

But in 2018, the city has the highest homeless population it鈥檚 had since counts began more than a decade ago. Rental rates are at an all-time high and home ownership is out of reach for people who earn a good living. Do you take any responsibility for this?

These are global problems, sharply focused on 麻豆传媒映画over this past decade. So, largely鈥攏o [I don鈥檛 take responsibility]. We can鈥檛 control global capital. That鈥檚 up to the federal government. We don鈥檛 regulate the real estate industry and the speculation and flipping, which are provincial responsibilities. On the supply side, we鈥檝e created record amounts of overall housing, rental housing, social and supportive housing in 10 years. I feel like we鈥檝e done everything we could do. I take responsibility for not successfully forcing provincial and federal governments to contribute to protecting affordable housing and investing in more. It clearly wasn鈥檛 a priority for the [Stephen] Harper or [Christy] Clark governments. As a city, under my leadership, we didn鈥檛 break through that block. So I have to take responsibility for not figuring out the puzzle. But we faced a perfect storm鈥攖he city hardest hit by global capital and economic boom and small land base. That made it virtually impossible to prevent these challenges without big intervention from provincial and federal governments. Vancouver鈥檚 been the hardest hit in Canada, but we鈥檝e also been in the lead with the empty homes tax, regulating Airbnb and investing in community housing through city land. We also opened the rent bank, created a renters鈥� database. We鈥檝e been trailblazers and setting a fierce pace, but it hasn鈥檛 kept up with the impacts.

What do you say to a person in 麻豆传媒映画who is one paycheque away from not being able to afford rent, or the people who have given up on finding affordable housing and left the city?

It鈥檚 been tough for people on low and fixed incomes, with the rents escalating. Everyone who owns a home in 麻豆传媒映画hit the jackpot in the last decade, and that鈥檚 half the population. But renters on tight budgets have faced real difficulties, and that鈥檚 why we鈥檝e pulled out all stops to get more rental housing and fight for renters in so many ways. The new B.C. government has stepped in to address 鈥榬enovictions鈥� and rent control. And the rental-only zoning gives us a new tool at the city to create more affordable rental housing. It鈥檚 tough for those who couldn鈥檛 stick it out in waiting for more rental supply. I believe we鈥檝e turned the corner on the vacancy rate. With the empty homes tax and Airbnb regulations, that supply is bouncing back up. We鈥檒l know more about that with the next CMHC [vacancy rate] numbers in November.

You鈥檝e mentioned this myth about people leaving the city?

麻豆传媒映画has had the biggest influx of young people of any city in Canada, according to Census data. But the myth persists that young people are leaving. Our economy wouldn鈥檛 be booming as it is unless young people weren鈥檛 pouring into the city at a record pace, and that鈥檚 what鈥檚 happening. We tend to hear the stories, and know the people who are leaving. But we don鈥檛 yet know all the people coming into the city who are growing our population and job base. And we don鈥檛 celebrate that much, either. Generally, we focus on the loss of people who we wish could stay.

Critics have said that under your administration you gave developers free reign to build expensive housing, which contributed to the affordable housing crisis. What do you say to that?

It鈥檚 ridiculous to assert that. The numbers are very clear鈥攚e鈥檝e built more rental housing than any city in the country. Last year, over half of the rental housing we approved was for people on low to middle incomes. Ten years ago, rental housing was five per cent of the housing supply being approved at city hall. We broke through 25 per cent a few years ago, and now we鈥檙e at two-thirds this year. So we鈥檝e made huge progress on adjusting the mix, and ensuring there鈥檚 the right supply of housing for people who live and work in Vancouver. That鈥檚 been our goal. It鈥檚 taken years to shift that with the development industry and the community. Most other cities make it far easier for developers, when you look at the cost and contributions we require in 麻豆传媒映画and the relentless push for more affordable and rental in the mix. We鈥檙e in a league of our own. Until recently, we鈥檝e been creating half of the rental supply in Metro Vancouver. We need the whole region working in concert to address affordability. Some communities like Burnaby have gone in the wrong direction, and have been losing rental housing at high rates.

Do you regret promising to end 鈥渟treet homelessness鈥� by 2015?

No, I believe that being committed to ending homelessness is a core commitment for the city going forward. We have to work as hard as we can on that, and continue challenging our provincial and federal partners to support that goal. We鈥檝e made progress. The last numbers I saw, to the end of 2017, the city had housed 4,799 people since 2010.

Those were all homeless people, including people in shelters?

Yes, those are people that our homeless outreach staff has gotten into housing, which he haven鈥檛 publicized or made a big deal out of. But the street homeless count is below what it was in 2008 by a couple hundred. The overall homeless count, including shelters and people living in cars and couch surfers is up, and dramatically up throughout the province. We鈥檝e seen homelessness skyrocket across B.C. and down the West Coast far beyond what Vancouver鈥檚 experienced鈥攂ecause we鈥檝e housed thousands of people. But because we haven鈥檛 achieved the ultimate goal of eliminating homelessness, we鈥檙e judged against that. But I don鈥檛 regret setting an audacious goal and going full tilt to solve it. We鈥檝e done more than any other city in Canada on social and supportive housing. That鈥檚 what counts, and this needs to remain a core goal of the city.

Why did you wait until the end of your term to rezone most of the city to allow duplexes? Why didn鈥檛 your administration do this 10 years ago when you were first elected?

When we came in in 2008, we worked hard on laneway homes and added the opportunity for about 65,000 laneway homes across the city. That was a first in Canada to create more supply in our low density neighbourhoods. Between secondary suites and laneway homes, we鈥檙e seeing over a thousand rental homes created every year. There鈥檚 been a progression of actions to add density in all neighbourhoods, and the duplex zoning has been the latest move. It was only four years ago that I had to apologize to 麻豆传媒映画voters for pushing too hard and moving too fast with housing and development and transportation changes. How times change. A couple years later, and I haven鈥檛 done enough or gone fast enough to address the [affordable housing] challenge.

The concern from some city councillors and the public was more about a lack of consultation, not the idea of allowing duplexes鈥�

We just went through several years of extensive consultation on our 10-year housing plan that includes duplexes as a next step. The city has done more engagement and consultation in the past decade than its entire history before that. The neighbourhood plans we did were exhaustive and took years of consultation. The housing plan, greenest city plan, the healthy city strategy were all massive consultations. I hope the next council continues that pattern of ensuring we deeply engage community. We hear every day from young people and families that they need housing, and to stop talking and start approving. That鈥檚 the tone that shifted in public hearings starting two years ago. It鈥檚 a very different debate now than it was five years ago.

Who are you picking to become the next mayor? I assume you鈥檙e sticking with what Vision 麻豆传媒映画has said鈥攖hat the party may endorse either independent mayoral candidates Shauna Sylvester, or Kennedy Stewart?

Yeah. I think both Shauna and Kennedy are great candidates and very capable of being mayor. It鈥檚 been a spirited [mayoral] race with so many competing, but they鈥檝e definitely stood out.

Once you decide which mayoral candidate you鈥檙e voting for, do you plan to endorse that candidate?

No I don鈥檛. It鈥檚 interesting. I was speaking with [former New York City mayor] Mike Bloomberg a few weeks ago about that. He said he never comments on his predecessor, or successor as a rule. I thought that鈥檚 a handy rule going forward. I might have said something about my predecessor [Sam Sullivan] when campaigning in 2008. But it will be a challenge to keep silent, particularly if things go sideways. I鈥檓 hopeful that doesn鈥檛 happen.

So what鈥檚 next for you? Are you done with politics?

I鈥檓 taking a break, doing a sabbatical through the winter and deciding what鈥檚 next when I have a clear head after my break. I鈥檓 ready for a break from political life.

A break, but will you return to politics? You live in the West End, there鈥檚 a federal election next year, Vancouver-Centre Liberal MP Hedy Fry may not run again鈥�

Sounds like too soon right now. I鈥檓 ready to change gears. I鈥檝e loved being mayor. Politics and government are the most engaging career I could imagine. But it鈥檚 been a long haul 鈥�14 years of politics [including time as NDP MLA]. So I鈥檓 looking forward to a break from it. But I may come back to it some day. I don鈥檛 know. It depends on what the world looks like then.

[email protected]

@Howellings

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