What Happened
On Wednesday, February 26th, Mayor Sim and five councillors from the ABC Party voted in favour of a motion to “freeze” the most effective tool at their disposal to address homelessness: housing with integrated support for residents.
Non-profit housing providers, front-line service providers in the Downtown Eastside and beyond, anti-violence organizations, local businesses and business improvement associations, labour groups, healthcare professionals, and provincial officials all voiced their concerns about this proposal.
Directly before the decision, council heard from 80+ speakers in opposition, many of whom shared their lived experiences about the ways supportive housing saved their lives and helped them get back on their feet. They stated, in no uncertain terms, that people would die as a result of this proposal.
Despite hearing this evidence, Mayor Sim, Councillor Montague, Councillor Meiszner, Councillor Kirby-Yung, Councillor Klassen, and Councillor Zhou voted to support the ban anyway.
This proposal has dangerous repercussions for all residents of Vancouver. In particular, it will harm Indigenous people, trans people, people with disabilities, and people who use drugs or have complex mental health challenges.
We echo the statement of our friends at First United on the impacts of this decision:
“This motion means that people who need extra support to get through their days and back on their feet—meals, skill building, connections to health services—in Vancouver, where they live and where their networks, services, friends, family, and community are, will not receive it.”
We are sad and angry at the cruelty of those who supported the motion. We are disappointed that our elected officials would use our vulnerable neighbours as human bargaining chips.
We are also determined to keep fighting.
Many of our members and allies met with councillors beforehand, wrote to council, rallied at city hall, or spoke at the council meeting, some for the first time.
We knew this would be a hard vote to win. But speaking up isn't just about changing the outcome; it's about telling the truth and being united behind solutions rooted in compassion and evidence. It’s about ensuring there is no confusion about where community stands. Because of our voices of resistance, those watching this decision know that these council members are not acting in the interest of marginalized groups, but rather, they are protecting powerful interests and maintaining the longstanding tradition of the rich scapegoating and displacing the poor.
Everyone who spoke up played a role in forcing the elected leaders who voted for this regressive policy to come face-to-face with the people they’re choosing to harm. They were forced to twist themselves into moral contortions to justify it. We reassured the three councillors who voted in opposition, Councillor Bligh, Councillor Dominato, and Councillor Fry, that they were on the right side of the issue.
What Happens Now
Every time we struggle together for change, we get stronger. All of the people who took action strengthened their civic engagement skills and developed new relationships. This gives us hope because those new skills and relationships build power so that next time, we will be stronger and more organized.
Unfortunately, politicians will continue to put forward regressive policies and narratives targeted at marginalized and criminalized communities, both in Vancouver and beyond. At WTC, we will continue to organize with our members and partners in the movement to resist, and take actions together to build cities where we all belong.
You can take action by:
Donating to front-line organizations in the Downtown Eastside.
Groups like WISH, PACE, and DEWC are already oversubscribed and underfunded. They are faced with impossible decisions about what to do with their limited resources in a worsening crisis.
Becoming a member of WTC.
Our membership is one of the ways we build power and increase our influence with decision-makers. You’ll have access to upcoming skill-building workshops and our Watch Council drop-in sessions for personalized advocacy support.
Voting or volunteering in the April 5th by-election.
By-elections typically have very low turnout, which means voting and helping others to vote can have a significant impact. Find a candidate or party who aligns with your values and see how you can support them.
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