麻豆传媒映画is home to a 40-unit modular housing building at Main and Terminal, where tenants are a mix of previously homeless and low-income people, some of whom with mental health and addictions challenges. Photo Dan Toulgoet
Housing Minister Selina Robinson says 麻豆传媒映画is 鈥渁t the front of the list鈥� to receive some of the $291 million her government will dedicate to the construction of 2,000 modular housing units in B.C. over the next two years, but she wouldn鈥檛 say how many units the city can expect.
The city made a pitch in the summer to get 600 modular units built and open in 麻豆传媒映画before winter arrives. The self-contained suites, which can be built quickly and moved from site to site, would be for homeless people and those who live in shelters.
鈥淸Vancouver] is at the front of the list,鈥� said Robinson in a telephone interview Tuesday with the Courier. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e pretty clear about their commitments. But there are certainly other communities around the region and around the province that, frankly, have said we want to have some of those. That鈥檚 the part that I find particularly interesting 鈥� that homelessness is not just a 麻豆传媒映画issue. We鈥檙e seeing it in the suburbs, we鈥檙e seeing it in small communities, all around the province.鈥�
Housing Minister Selina Robinson said she has spoken to Mayor Gregor Robertson about the city鈥檚 need for modular housing funding.
Robinson said she has spoken to Mayor Gregor Robertson about the city鈥檚 need and visited the city鈥檚 only modular housing building at Main and Terminal, which opened earlier this year. The 40-unit building was built and designed in six months and cost $3 million, none of which came from the former provincial government.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 want people to think that 麻豆传媒映画is just going to get everything,鈥� Robinson said. 鈥淲e have a province that we鈥檙e looking at, and a homelessness issue that has been festering for a decade under the previous government. We鈥檝e taken our first steps to address an urgent issue. There鈥檚 more for us to do. I don鈥檛 want anyone to think that we鈥檙e done.鈥�
The urgency to get 600 units open in 麻豆传媒映画is propelled by the increasing numbers of homeless people living on the street. A total of 537 people were recorded as 鈥渟treet homeless鈥� after a count in March. An additional 1,601 people were counted as living in some form of shelter.
Shelter space and accommodation at single-room-occupancy hotels is also scarce.
The cost to build 600 units in 麻豆传媒映画was estimated in the summer at $45 million. That dollar figure was based on $75,000 per unit. It鈥檚 unclear whether the price has increased. In Vancouver鈥檚 case, the municipality would use city land and work with private landowners to secure property for the 600 units, with the maximum number of units per site at 40.
The B.C. government鈥檚 announcement Sept. 11 to spend $291 million on modular housing also included an additional $170 million over three years to fund staff and support services such as health care for tenants of the 2,000 units.
While waiting for the government鈥檚 decision on number of units to be funded in Vancouver, city staff has been busy working to expedite the time it would take to get such housing approved, built and open before winter arrives.
On Wednesday, council unanimously supported a staff recommendation that now gives the city鈥檚 director or planning the discretion to choose the sites for the modular housing. The move means none of the modular housing proposals would have to be rezoned and, therefore, not require a public hearing.
As Gil Kelley, the city鈥檚 director of planning, explained after the meeting, he has the discretion to approve a location for a modular housing building, albeit with neighbours and businesses in the chosen area notified by the city. Kelley said he can also send proposals to the development permit board, which allows public input.
鈥淎nything that鈥檚 controversial, I would forward to that board,鈥� said Kelley, noting approval of the temporary housing units would be for a maximum of five years. 鈥淭hey do have open meetings with public comment, and there would be notification.鈥�
Kelley said the modular housing would not be built in single-family districts and, most likely, not in industrial zones. Commercial and multi-family zones are the areas of the city that his staff is looking at, he said, noting private landowners will also be approached to use their land.
鈥淧rivate sites would likely be those beginning their redevelopment planning and process, which could take several years,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 really, 鈥楧o they have a civic interest in helping out with the affordable housing crisis, particularly for the city鈥檚 most vulnerable?鈥� Early conversations between other city agencies [such as the 麻豆传媒映画Affordable Housing Agency] and some of the private parties is that there鈥檚 a willingness to do that.鈥�
Asked about the city鈥檚 original goal to have the 600 units opened before winter, Kelley said he was hopeful but noted there is also a bid process to choose a manufacturer, or manufacturers, for the housing. That can鈥檛 occur until the city learns whether it鈥檚 getting the funding for the units.
鈥淚 think it鈥檚 probably more likely that it could come mid-to-late winter, or even early spring,鈥� he said. 鈥淏ut it鈥檚 still useful because we鈥檝e got people who need shelter year-round and who are either homeless or working poor, or just need a place to live. So whenever they come on line, they鈥檒l be useful. It would be great if they would be ready by winter, or sometime this winter.鈥�
Next week, municipal politicians will mix with their provincial counterparts, including Robinson whose portfolio includes municipal affairs, at the Union of B.C. Municipalities鈥� conference in Vancouver. When the Courier suggested to the minister that it would be an opportune time to announce which municipalities will receive funding for modular housing, she said, 鈥淚鈥檒l take that under advisement.鈥�
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