Vancouver city councillor tables plan to 'unlock' housing in DTES
CTV
A Vancouver city councillor is proposing an ambitious plan to create greater housing stock in the Downtown Eastside.
A Vancouver city councillor is proposing an ambitious plan to create greater housing stock in the Downtown Eastside.
ABC Coun. Rebecca Bligh’s motion, “Uplifting the Downtown Eastside and Building Inclusive Communities that Work for All Residents,” seeks to increase below-market housing supply in the Downtown Eastside-Oppenheimer development area.
The DEOD currently restricts new developments to a 60/40 mix of social and market rental housing. According to the proposal, only two projects have been built in that area since the plan was approved in 2014.
“We need to unlock future development to enable that, with prioritizing rental and below-market rental in those zoned areas,” Bligh said.
Bligh’s motion also looks at including an array of commercial spaces to mirror the diversity of the neighborhood’s residents and needs.
“The goal is to build a community where people can see themselves being able to live, work and shop,” she said. “We know that each of us live in our communities that way and folks on the Downtown Eastside should expect to, too.”
Michael Geller, an urban planner, said he was pleased to hear the details within Bligh’s motion. Geller said in 2014, he presented a speech to city council about his thoughts on the DEOD plan.
