2,500 Empty Condos:

🏢 2,500 Empty Condos: Vancouver’s Missed Opportunity to End Homelessness

It’s shocking — while over 2,500 new condos sit empty across Metro Vancouver, thousands of people sleep in tents, vehicles, and shelters. Developers hold these units, unwilling to sell at a loss, while homelessness and unaffordable rents skyrocket. There’s a solution staring us in the face, and it’s not a radical experiment — it’s public ownership and responsible rental management.

💡 The Idea: Government-Owned Rentals

What if the federal, provincial, and municipal governments worked together to:

• Purchase these 2,500 unsold condos from developers.
• Convert them into income-based rental units accessible to seniors, low-income workers, families, and people with disabilities.
• Manage them responsibly — mixed-income communities, not just “supportive housing” for addiction or mental health crises.

Each unit becomes a home. Each home becomes a step toward ending homelessness in Vancouver.

💰 The Numbers Make Sense

• Average condo price: ~$800,000
• 2,500 units × $800,000 = $2 billion total
• Compare that to fossil fuel subsidies, airline bailouts, and emergency shelter spending — it’s completely feasible.

Even renting these units at a modest $1,000/month could generate $30 million per year — money that goes back into housing maintenance and community programs.

🌍 Benefits for Everyone

• Thousands of people get stable, safe housing.
• Developers sell their unsold inventory without taking massive losses.
• The government invests in real, tangible assets instead of temporary programs.
• Communities grow stronger with mixed-income neighborhoods rather than isolating vulnerable people.

🔧 How It Could Work

1. Create a BC Community Housing Trust to manage the purchases.
2. Negotiate bulk buys of unsold condos from developers.
3. Turn units into income-based rentals, with rent capped at 30% of household income.
4. Partner with nonprofits for tenant support and community programs.
5. Track long-term benefits, reinvest rental income into more housing.

✊ Why We Need Political Will

Developers need liquidity. Governments need to solve homelessness. The public is ready to see real change. This alignment is rare — and the opportunity is right here in plain sight.

💬 If we act, these empty condos can become homes, stability, and dignity for thousands. Vancouver cannot afford to wait any longer.

— Tina Winterlik