Below-Market? Not Even Close — Vancouver's Housing Plan Excludes the Most Vulnerable

 

Below-Market? Not Even Close — Vancouver's Housing Plan Excludes the Most Vulnerable
By Tina Winterlik aka Zipolita

This week, the City of Vancouver proudly announced the approval of 608 new rental homes, including 121 so-called “below-market” units. Sounds like good news, right?

Not if you're on welfare, disability, or low income. Let’s look at the numbers:

• Average 1-bedroom rent in Vancouver (CMHC 2025): $1,837/month
• "Below-market" rate (10% less): $1,653/month
• Welfare shelter allowance: $375/month
• Disability shelter allowance: $500/month

Even with a roommate or temporary top-up, these “affordable” homes are completely out of reach for those who need them most.

So who are they really building for?

They pat themselves on the back for meeting “affordability” targets — but those targets are set with middle-income earners in mind. There is no real inclusion for seniors, disabled people, single parents, or anyone on social assistance.

This isn’t a mistake. It’s a deliberate design to exclude the poor, while using the word “affordable” to appease public concern.

This isn’t affordability. It’s exclusion disguised as progress.

And we’re tired of it.

We demand housing that reflects the real needs of the people. Real inclusion. Real justice. Not more empty promises and fancy press releases.

Housing is a human right — not a privilege for the few.

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Sources:

• City of Vancouver Housing Announcement (May 2025):
  https://bit.ly/3ZsMVDP
• CMHC Rental Market Report – Vancouver, 2025 (used for below-market rent estimates):
  https://www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca/en/professionals/housing-markets-data-and-research/housing-data/data-tables/rental-market
• City of Vancouver Rental Incentive Programs Bulletin (2025):
  https://guidelines.vancouver.ca/bulletins/bulletin-rental-incentive-programs.pdf

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Tags:
#VancouverHousing #SocialJustice #DisabilityRights #WelfareRates #BelowMarketMyth #AffordableForWho #TinaWinterlik #Zipolita #HousingIsAHumanRight

Canada's Housing Policies and Systems

 I asked AI something and this was answer

You’re absolutely right to raise concerns about how housing policies and systems, including the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), impact vulnerable populations. 

The CMHC was established in 1946 to address a post-war housing crisis, aiming to help returning veterans and their families find affordable homes. 

Over time, it has evolved into a major player in Canada’s housing market, with a dual role of facilitating housing affordability while also operating as a Crown corporation with financial mandates. 

This dual role can create tensions between public service and profitability.

Issues with the Current System

1. Housing as a Commodity: Housing in Canada has increasingly been treated as an investment vehicle rather than a basic human need. This shift has driven up prices and rents, particularly in urban centers like Vancouver and Toronto.

2. Rental Market Pressures: High rents disproportionately affect women, single parents, and individuals unable to pool resources to afford housing. For women facing domestic abuse or mental health struggles, the lack of affordable, independent living options exacerbates their vulnerabilities.

3. Focus on Profits: While the CMHC generates significant revenue for the federal government, critics argue that it prioritizes financial stability over addressing systemic housing inequities.

How to Effect Change

To address these issues and create a system that supports vulnerable populations, the following steps could be taken:

1. Strengthen Social Housing Programs:

Increase funding for non-profit and cooperative housing, with specific allocations for women, children, and marginalized groups.

Introduce rent control measures to stabilize costs in overheated markets.

2. Expand Rent Subsidies:

Implement or expand programs like the Canada Housing Benefit to assist low-income individuals, particularly women fleeing abuse, in securing safe housing.

3. Support Livable Wages and Employment:

Address wage gaps and create more opportunities for women to achieve financial independence, particularly through training in high-demand fields.

Encourage flexible work policies to support single parents and caregivers.

4. Reform Housing Policies:

Establish a national strategy that prioritizes housing as a human right, shifting focus from treating homes as assets to ensuring accessibility.

Implement stricter regulations on speculation and foreign investment to stabilize housing prices.

5. Empower Local and Grassroots Solutions:

Support community-led housing initiatives, such as land trusts or tiny house projects, which offer sustainable and affordable alternatives.

Provide grants to organizations helping women secure independent housing.

Addressing Market Instability

If the housing market faces a downturn, it presents both risks and opportunities. Falling prices could make homeownership more accessible, but economic instability could exacerbate challenges for renters. Policymakers must ensure that relief measures focus on protecting tenants and low-income homeowners, rather than primarily bailing out developers and financial institutions.

Advocacy and Engagement

Grassroots movements and public pressure are critical. Organizations and individuals can advocate for policy changes by:

Writing to elected officials to prioritize affordable housing in budgets.

Supporting non-profit developers and housing co-ops.

Raising awareness about housing inequities through blogs, social media, and activism.

A combined effort of policy reform, community action, and corporate accountability can pave the way for a more equitable housing system, empowering women and vulnerable populations to live independently and with dignity.

Global Climate March-YVR- Get Your Friends & Family Together

LIST OF EVENTS http://peoplesclimateconvergence.org/events
https://www.facebook.com/vanclimatemarch15/?fref=photo 
 
There are few times in history when it is SO important to use our voices...... 
THAT TIME IS NOW!!!

On Sunday, November 29th at 1:00 p.m. we have an opportunity to march for climate justice! Millions around the globe will be marching in solidarity with Paris to send a clear message:

Share this INFO

OUR PLANET IS IN PERIL, her creatures are disappearing at an alarming rate, and the future of our children and grand-children is at risk.

The course of history can and HAS been changed by mass mobilizations of people.....let's make this our chance to speak for those that have no voice.

We see climate change as the local/global issue that unites us all and calls each of us to action.

With the events in Paris, all of us are aware that there are so many vulnerable people on the planet - attending a march is truly an expression of our humanity. When the most vulnerable on this earth are at risk, we are all at risk.

Many would like to try to silence us, but any attempts to stop the world wide movement for change will only make the rest of us step up, stand up, and speak even louder. Because we are one people, one planet, engaged in a fight to save everything we love.

Let's make this HUGE!!! Let's get our message out and be so LOUD, that our voices, combined with the millions of other voices around Mother Earth…. CANNOT be ignored!!

Please bring your children, bring your loved ones, bring your friends!

JOIN US - SUNDAY NOVEMBER 29th - 1:00 pm - Vancouver Art Gallery

WE REALLY NEED YOUR HELP - PLEASE SPREAD THE WORD ABOUT MARCH TO F/B FRIENDS, WORKMATES, CHURCHES, CLUBS - help them be part of a history changing movement!!! Thank you very much!!