Some in Richmond, B.C., oppose supportive housing proposal

Some Richmond, B.C., residents are vocally opposing a B.C. Housing proposal for permanent supportive housing near Aberdeen Centre.

The residents and businesses are petitioning against a proposed six-storey supportive housing project at Cambie Road and Sexsmith Road, with opponents saying the project would make the area unsafe.

But B.C. Housing and the city say the project is meant to address an urgent need for more supportive housing in Richmond, with the housing agency pushing back against assumptions that unhoused people commit crimes and saying it would work with neighbours as part of the project.

The project's opponents have been campaigning through online petitions, which have received thousands of signatures, and now plan to hold a rally on Aug. 10.

"The biggest concerns are safety, crime," Sheldon Starrett, a resident who previously ran for city council with the Richmond Community Coalition, said at a news conference Wednesday.

"We have a park behind us. There [are] so many families here. Their children play in the park. There [are] many seniors here that just walk here and exercise daily."

Opponents say they worry that the proposed building would attract public drug sales and consumption.

Kevin Lai pointed to his experience living near the Alderbridge Modular Housing site – a temporary supportive housing project in Richmond – and said such facilities "have become hotspots for open drug use."

'Want people to be part of a community'

But the proposed permanent supportive housing project is not meant to be a low-barrier drug addiction centre, said Clay Adams, a City of Richmond spokesperson.

Instead, Adams says it would house 90 private studios, each equipped with a kitchenette and a bathroom, for people who need support to maintain stable housing — as well as people with disabilities and seniors.  

He added that the city's two temporary housing sites, including the one at Alderbridge, would shut down after the permanent housing project's intended opening in 2027. Residents from these sites, he said, could move to the new building. 

"There's a lot of work to be done in the next couple of years to determine the best location for some of those residents," Adams said. 

Regarding the Cambie Road and Sexsmith Road location, Adams said the city has already owned the property there, and it's also close to public transit and support services. 

"Finding land is always challenging," he said. 

"And you want people to be part of a community. You don't want to put them in industrial areas miles from anywhere."

B.C. Housing, which is spearheading and funding the project, said in a statement to CBC News that people who live in supportive housing are more often victims of crime rather than perpetrators. 

"Just because a person is experiencing homelessness and in need of supportive housing, does not mean they are more likely to commit a crime than someone who is housed," reads the statement. "These types of assumptions are stigmatizing and harmful."

The housing agency also outlined in the statement several security measures that would be in place at the new building, if it's approved.

They include having housing staff on-site 24/7 to support residents and be a point of contact for neighbours, installing security cameras, as well as mandating fob access and having fenced grounds. 

According to Adams, city staff will continue receiving public feedback on the proposal and its rezoning application in the coming weeks. City council will then decide in the fall or winter whether to approve the project.