This week at city council: Police in Schools, Protecting Supportive Housing, and TGD2S Safety

Written By Irene Lo

Vancouver City Council will make some big decisions in their last meeting of the summer. Let's take a look at what's on the agenda and how you can speak up.

Want To Skip Straight To Action?

  • Email council urging them to take action (see emails below).

  • Speak to council—sign up by Tuesday, July 22nd at 5pm.

  • Sign Carnegie Housing Project's petition asking council to protect supportive modular housing.

  • Share your priorities for Vancouver's Transgender, Gender Diverse, and Two-Spirit (TGD2S) Safety and Inclusion Action Plan in this survey.

What's On At Council

Agenda Item: "Request for Review of School Liaison Officer Program"

What's Happening: 

The Racial and Ethno-Cultural Equity Advisory Committee (one of the resident-led bodies WTC successfully fought to protect) is asking council to back their request that the Vancouver School Board review the School Liaison Officers (SLO) program, which places armed police officers in schools.

The Committee wants the review to take place before the program is renewed and asks that it centre "equity-deserving communities who have historically expressed distrust towards police (particularly Indigenous and Black communities)."

Good to Know: In 2021, the SLO program was eliminated after third-party community consultation found that 60% of Black respondents and half of Indigenous respondents felt negatively about the program due to their interactions with police. It was reinstated in 2023. The Vancouver Police Department says SLO officers receive specialized training to work with children, but reporting from the Tyee found no evidence of training being offered.

 

Agenda Item: "Improving Public Safety by Protecting Supportive Modular Housing"

What's Happening: Modular housing offers cost-effective, dignified housing for individuals who would otherwise be unsheltered, often alongside critical social services. Despite these units having a lifespan of 30–40 years, city bylaws say they can only remain in place for 5–10 years.

Under the current policy, leases for 600 units of modular housing are set to expire by 2031, potentially displacing residents and further straining the housing system.

This motion seeks to change that by allowing housing to stay put for the life of the building.

Watch this CBC interview with Carnegie Housing Project's Jean Swanson to learn more.

Good to Know: All elected councillors committed to our Hot Pink Paper Campaign pledge to reduce barriers to non-market housing.
Extending leases for some of the most affordable housing options is one way they can fulfill this commitment.

 

See our Civic Engagement Resources for more information.

Agenda Item: "Identifying Progressive Revenues to Protect Public Services"

What's Happening: The city budget funds many important services, programs, and initiatives that residents, especially equity-deserving residents, rely on. It's primarily funded through property tax.

Council has asked staff to bring forward property tax increases that are much lower than what's needed to sustain current services. This could result in vital services being cut.

This motion requests that staff explore revenue options that require those who have more resources to contribute more to their community.

Good to Know: To understand more about how city budgets work and how you can influence them, see our civic engagement resources.

How to take action

Join a Watch Council Drop-In Session. Let's chat about these important decisions at our upcoming Watch Council Drop-In Session on Monday, July 21st at 12:00pm.

Drop-in sessions are an opportunity to connect virtually with the WTC team for informal conversations and personalized support on local government advocacy, organizing, and engagement. Common topics discussed include:

  • How to speak or write to council.

  • Understanding how a policy decision may impact you and your community.

  • Strategizing on the best ways to influence a given motion or decision, including which councillors to approach.

  • Navigating local government systems and jurisdiction.

  • Tips on organizing and campaigning.

If you can't make the drop-in session but have questions on engaging with city council, feel free to email or post in our members' Slack channel.

Speak to Council. One of the unique things about local government is that you can speak directly to elected officials on a specific issue. You don't need to be an "expert" to do so—it's critical that they hear from residents like yourself who ultimately experience the impacts of the decisions they make.

WTC's resource on how to speak to council and our speech template tool can help you get started.

The speaker registration deadline is Tuesday, July 22nd at 5:00 pm. Council will hear from speakers and vote on all of these motions starting Wednesday, July 23rd in the late morning until well into Wednesday evening.

Write to Council. Sending a brief email to your elected city councillors is a great way to ensure they know what's important to the people they represent. Here's some quick tips:

  • State clearly at the beginning whether you support or oppose the agenda item.

  • Share a sentence or two on why this issue matters to you—what's your personal connection or experience?

  • Don't overthink it. Done is better than perfect, so keep it short and simple.

There is no deadline, but we recommend sending your email by Tuesday, July 22nd at 5:00 pm.

Council's email addresses: ken.sim@vancouver.ca, rebecca.bligh@vancouver.ca, lisa.dominato@vancouver.ca, pete.fry@vancouver.ca, sarah.kirby-yung@vancouver.ca, mike.klassen@vancouver.ca, lucy.maloney@vancouver.ca, peter.meiszner@vancouver.ca, brian.montague@vancouver.ca, sean.orr@vancouver.ca, lenny.zhou@vancouver.ca

Sign the Petition. Sign Carnegie Housing Project's petition demanding council protect modular supportive housing units.

What else is happening?

Engagement Opportunity: Share your priorities for how Vancouver could support Transgender, Gender Diverse, and Two-Spirit (TGD2S) safety and inclusion.

What’s Happening: Last year, we were pleased to see unanimous approval for a motion to renew the Transgender, Gender Diverse, and Two-Spirit (TGD2S) Safety and Inclusion Action Plan. City staff are now seeking input to shape the renewed action plan that they'll present to council for final approval. Completing the 10-minute survey can help them know what to prioritize and what might be missing from the plan.

Important Dates:

There are so many ways our local governments can work to make life better for equity-deserving people—the motions we've identified are just a few examples (see the full agenda here).

We hope you'll feel encouraged to take action! Thanks for speaking up!

P.S. Not a member? Become one today by joining here.

Irene Lo
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