Advocacy Issues

Mayor Ken Sim wants to stop new supportive housing projects from being built in the City of Vancouver. On Wednesday, February 26, the motion “Temporarily Pausing Net-New Supportive Housing Investments in Vancouver to Prioritize Replacing Existing Stock and Promoting Regional Equity” is going to City Council for discussion and vote. This is an opportunity for your voice to be heard on an important issue that will impact thousands in our community, and we need you to join us.

The City of Vancouver acknowledges that “safe, stable and dignified housing is a fundamental necessity for individuals facing homelessness, mental health challenges, and substance use disorders”. As homelessness increases and affordability worsens, now is not the time to inhibit the building of new supportive housing stock. 

Supportive housing makes communities safer. 
Supportive housing is part of the solution to homelessness. 
Supportive housing helps people escape the cycle of poverty. 

Send a pre-written email below to tell Mayor Sim and City Council that you DO NOT support this motion. Tell them that you believe Vancouver and surrounding municipalities in the region need to proactively and urgently build more supportive housing. 

Read more about the issue and the benefits of supportive housing in our op-ed “Safer Communities Start with Supportive Housing”, co-written with the Vancity Community Foundation. 

If you do not see the form to send your letter, please refresh your browser.

Urge party leaders to adopt a position supportive of vacancy control and develop a bolder plan to ensure tenants aren’t evicted in bad faith.

BC tops two undesirable lists: the eviction capital of Canada and the most unaffordable housing in Canada. Rent is out of control, but it doesn’t have to be. FIRST UNITED is a provincial leader in housing justice. Through our extensive research and expertise we have developed a comprehensive law reform platform that protects tenants, reduces community displacement, and prevents homelessness. Earlier in 2024, the provincial government adopted several of FIRST UNITED’s recommendations. However, one recommendation that has not yet been accepted is vacancy control. Vacancy control has the potential to make the greatest impact for the most people in BC.

Vacancy control is when the allowable annual rent increases apply to the rental unit, regardless of a change of landlord or tenant. Right now, landlords are strongly incentivized to evade rent control by forcing tenant turnover through bad-faith evictions. Through evictions, landlords can increase rent by unlimited amounts. We see this happen across the province. Seniors, people of colour, LGBTQ2S+, and low-income people are at highest risk of homelessness and displacement through these bad-faith evictions, but people of all walks of life and incomes are negatively impacted.

Vacancy control will disincentivize that. It will stabilize rents and prevent people from all walks of life from becoming homeless. This is what’s needed.

Send a letter to provincial party leaders to let them know that you will vote for a party that demonstrates commitment to safe and affordable homes for everyone. The letter will be addressed to:

1. Premier David Eby, BC NDP
2. John Rustad, Conservative Party of BC
3. Sonia Furstenau, Green Party of BC

This letter writing campaign is now closed. As of October 29, 2024, a total of 99 letters were sent to Premier David Eby (BC NDP), John Rustad (Conservative Party of BC), and Sonia Furstenau (Green Party of Canada). Below are the contents of the original letter:

Dear Party Leader,

BC is the eviction capital and the least affordable province for housing in Canada. Housing affordability is out of control and we need clear and bold action now.

I believe in housing policy that allows for everyone to have access to a safe and affordable home. I will vote for a party that demonstrates that commitment in the upcoming election.

That’s why I’m calling on your party to adopt a position supportive of vacancy control and develop a bolder plan to ensure tenants aren’t evicted in bad faith.

Right now, landlords are strongly incentivized to evade rent control by forcing tenant turnover through bad-faith evictions. Through evictions, landlords can increase rent by unlimited amounts. We see this happen across the province. Seniors, people of colour, LGBTQ2S+, and low-income people are at highest risk of homelessness and displacement through these bad-faith evictions, but people of all walks of life and incomes are negatively impacted.

Vacancy control will disincentivize that. It will stabilize rents and prevent people from all walks of life from becoming homeless. This is what’s needed.

People across the province and income spectrum are struggling to pay rent. We need immediate action now.

Sincerely,
[Name]

From the Social Justice Committee of FIRST UNITED

Provincial election campaigns have kicked off and we’re concerned about a policy that’s being proposed by more than one political party: involuntary treatment for people with “severe addictions” and/or mental health challenges or brain injuries.

FIRST UNITED has been serving the DTES community, including those who have mental health challenges, brain injuries, and people who use drugs, for over a century. As an organization with deep relationships and ties in the community, and as those who have seen firsthand the outcomes of failed policies like this, we vehemently object.

Involuntary treatment denies people of their basic human rights and bodily autonomy. It cages people who use drugs as prisoners without having committed crimes. It is also proven to increase overdose deaths. There is not enough evidence to show that involuntary treatment works well, but there is enough evidence to show that it can cause more harm.¹

Parties in favour of involuntary treatment couch mental health challenges within the primary context of addiction—signaling that this is in fact an attack on people who use drugs, and a desire for expanded use of the Mental Health Act. This type of government apprehension and confinement is akin to jailing innocent people. It robs people of their liberty and dignity. It is also a threat of renewed oppression and violence against Indigenous people.

First Nations people are overrepresented in toxic drug poisoning deaths in BC; in 2023 First Nations people in BC died at 6.1 times the rate of other British Columbians.² Being forced into involuntary treatment carries with it an association to Canada’s dark legacy of forced “medical treatment” of Indigenous people. Coupled with the increase of overdose risk after being held in involuntary treatment, this presents a significant and increased risk for Indigenous people.³

We believe this is at odds with Article 29 of the United Nations Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples⁴ (which, the BC government has adopted as its framework for reconciliation in 2019⁵), which declares “States shall also take effective measures to ensure, as needed, that programmes for monitoring, maintaining and restoring the health of indigenous peoples, as developed and implemented by the peoples affected by such materials, are duly implemented.”

We call on all political parties and leaders to revert their positions and instead take an evidence-based approach to the toxic drug crisis that will actually make a positive difference in the lives of British Columbians:

1. Establish policy positions supportive of safe supply; when elected implement a plan for a safe and regulated supply of drugs.
2. Double the number of community-based services that support people struggling with mental health and substance use challenges.
3. Immediately fund voluntary detox and treatment beds throughout the province, in every community; ensure that people can access treatment as soon as they want to, in their community.
4. Establish trauma-informed, culturally-safe and culturally-informed health and healing services, including detox and treatment facilities, for Indigenous people that are in line with Calls to Action 21 and 22 in the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada: Calls to Action report.⁶

We are disturbed by these proposed policies and invite British Columbians to join us in voicing their concerns, and protecting the rights and dignity of all in our province.

Sources

¹ https://www.mcmasterforum.org/docs/default-source/product-documents/rapid-responses/use-and-regulation-of-involuntary-substance-use-treatment-for-adults.pdf?sfvrsn=3dec6bb1_3
² https://www.fnha.ca/Documents/FNHA-First-Nations-and-the-Toxic-Drug-Poisoning-Crisis-in-BC-Jan-Dec-2023.pdf
³ https://digitallibrary.cma.ca/viewer?file=%2Fmedia%2FDigital_Library_PDF%2F2024%2520CMA%27s%2520apology%2520to%2520Indigenous%2520Peoples%2520EN.pdf#page=1
⁴ https://www.un.org/development/desa/indigenouspeoples/wp-content/uploads/sites/19/2018/11/UNDRIP_E_web.pdf
⁵ https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/governments/indigenous-people/new-relationship/united-nations-declaration-on-the-rights-of-indigenous-peoples
⁶ https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/british-columbians-our-governments/indigenous-people/aboriginal-peoples-documents/calls_to_action_english2.pdf