Transcript Approaches to Housing the Workforce:

P. Gurstein & M. Young
UBC, Vancouver, Canada
Collective rights as citizens to
the city and the processes of
urbanization – to live in
dignity
“…in the hands of a
small political and
economic elite who
are in the position to
shape the city more
and more after their
own particular needs
and hearts’ desire”
“…the city is splitting
into different separated
parts, with the apparent
formation of
many ‘microstates’”
David Harvey
Rebel Cities: From the
Right to the City to the
Urban Revolution
Amorphous—everything so anything?
Community or Communities
Housing Diversity and Scarcity
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No National Housing Strategy
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“Affordability Gap”: gap between income and costs
 Nearly ¼ of Canadian households spend 30% or more of their gross
household income on housing
 13.5% of households are in “core housing need”
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Homelessness has grown dramatically – up to 300,000 across
Canada…UN Rapporteur 2009: “crisis of homelessness and
inadequate housing”
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Aboriginal communities have worst housing in Canada
 28% of Aboriginal households living off-reserve are in “core housing
need”
 On-reserve housing is inadequate
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Ranked as the 2nd worst in the world for homeownership
affordability
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High Housing Prices and Low Average Incomes:
▪ Average income is one of lowest in Canada - $71,140;
▪ benchmark price of single family, detached house almost $1 million
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Rental vacancy rates are among the lowest in Canada at 2.6 %
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Highest average rent in Canada
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Homelessness and Housing Insecurity…
HEDGE
CITY
one of the poorest
neighbourhoods in
North America…
SRO, homeless,
addiction and mental
Illness, infestations of
bed bugs and vermin
strong community
activism and
solidarity
“This land is still First Nations land and is under
treaty negotiations. Until that’s settled, people
camping there can stay as long as they need, during
the housing crisis created by the three levels of
Colonial Government.”
“We will stay here until people have homes,” she
said. “Nobody wants to be here. People want to
have homes.”
green,
leafy streets…
typical
single family
detached house
value over
2 million dollars
“We are chiefly concerned by the five-storey
massing at the south end of the proposed
building.”
“The transition is abrupt and the juxtaposition
of single-family homes with a five-storey
structure is jarring.”
Dunbar Residents Association
http://dunbarrevision.com/
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Citizenship values
Community consultation
Environmental sustainability
Transit
Public leadership: social housing, resource,
legislation
Governmental Co-operation
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Range of tenure models
Mixed income communities
Social housing revival
Rent bank
Tax speculation
Income support programmes
Residential tenancy law
Community Land Trusts