12th & Cambie

By Mike Howell-staff writer

Vision's loss

A new plan to deal with the city's homeless is not supported by Vision Vancouver.

At Tuesday's council meeting, the four-strong Vision team voted against a consultants' report that recommends the city create a Vancouver Homelessness Foundation and donate city land to be used for supportive housing.

This would run contrary to policy in which the city leases land to non-profits, said Vision Coun. Tim Stevenson.

"This homelessness foundation just sets up yet another level of complicated bureaucracy, and why should the city have to bribe the province to get the funding it deserves?" Stevenson said. "Vancouver already goes far beyond what any other municipality does, and now we're being asked to give away valuable land on the off-chance the province will chip in. This is not something we can accept."

Authors of the report are Ken Dobell, the former city manager and deputy premier, and Don Fairbairn, former chief financial officer of the Canada Line project. They were paid $300,000 to write the report.

Mayor Sam Sullivan earlier told the Courier a non-government solution was needed to build social housing. Obtaining money from individuals, foundations and businesses to build housing-specifically for people with mental illnesses and/or addictions-has to be considered, he added.

"I've heard from many people-who are fairly wealthy-who want to know how to help," Sullivan said. "I know there is money out there that could come from private individuals who are concerned about the deplorable conditions of many of our most vulnerable citizens."

After four hours of debate Tuesday, the NPA majority won the day. The Dobell/Fairbairn report will be reviewed by the public before going before council for a final vote later in the spring.

Pivot-al report

Think you have a good idea to solve the city's housing crisis?

The Pivot Legal Society will give $2,000 to the author of the winning essay in a contest to find the best and most practical solutions to the housing shortfall.

A panel of developers, government planners and academics will choose the winner and the five runner-ups. Pivot will publish all six papers in a special report on housing solutions for the Downtown Eastside.

"These essays will hopefully allow us to think outside the box a little and offer practical as well as innovative ideas and solutions," said Nick Blomley, a Simon Fraser University professor and panel judge.

According to Pivot, the Downtown Eastside is facing rapid erosion of low-income housing because of development and gentrification. Contestants' essays must look specifically at proposals that have been implemented and successful in other jurisdictions-and involve partnerships between government and developers.

The authors should also respect the needs of the existing low-income community in the area and the proposals must not displace, either directly or indirectly, that community. The deadline for entries is Monday, April 30. More information is available at www.pivotlegal.org.

Topic is women

Four out of 11 politicians on city council are women.

They are Kim Capri, Heather Deal, Suzanne Anton and Elizabeth Ball.

Should there be more?

A committee of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities thinks so-at least on councils across the country, where an average of 21 per cent of elected municipal politicians are women.

Dubbed the Committee for Increasing Women's Participation in Municipal Government, it has set a goal of increasing the number of elected women in municipal government to 30 per cent by 2026.

While the current council make-up is above average, Ellen Woodsworth and Anne Roberts were the only women on council under former mayor Larry Campbell's term from 2002 to 2005.

The city has never had a female mayor, although the NPA's Jennifer Clarke attempted to become the first when she ran against Campbell in the 2002 vote.

The topic of women in politics will be discussed today, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., at the Morris J. Wosk Centre for Dialogue, 580 West Hastings St. Ann Maclean, who is mayor of New Glasgow, N.S. and past president of the FCM, will be the keynote speaker. The event is free.

published on 03/16/2007