Controversial Richmond, B.C., supportive housing project gets go-ahead after months of wrangling
Province paused project at Cambie and Sexsmith roads after public safety concerns, but it's back on
A supportive housing project in Richmond, B.C., will be built in its original location after it was paused by the province for months over an ostensible lack of public consultation.
The six-storey project at Cambie and Sexsmith roads featured up to 90 studios for those experiencing homelessness near the Aberdeen Centre, but it raised concerns from some in the community over alleged open drug use and public safety.
In late August, the B.C. government paused the project as it said it wanted to take a step back and hear from the community — a move that was slammed as politically motivated by a Richmond councillor, coming as it did a month before the provincial election.
Now, the province says the project will proceed in its original location after all, after staff evaluated five other locations and determined they wouldn't meet the needs of the community.
The months of wrangling over the project has left Richmond's mayor frustrated. Malcolm Brodie says the province has botched the situation for the city and its residents with the pause.
"By throwing that monkey wrench into the situation right before the election, people got the wrong idea," he told Gloria Macarenko, host of CBC's On The Coast. "They thought the project was off, and all of a sudden, it's back on.
"The province and B.C. Housing have created a very difficult situation in the City of Richmond in this regard."
Brodie says the project near Aberdeen Centre is meant to consolidate two temporary supportive housing sites in the city, with those sites slated to close once the project goes through.
"I think that if you're going to have such a facility, the location is what you want," he said.
"It's on transit. It's close to services. It's in the city centre. It's around people, which gives those without a home the best chance to kind of recover their situation and to move on up."
Brodie acknowledged that some public safety impacts from a supportive housing project were inevitable, but the city had worked with B.C. Housing to minimize those.
The housing agency previously told CBC News that several security measures would be in place at the new building.
They include having housing staff on-site 24/7 to support residents and be a point of contact for neighbours, installing security cameras, mandating fob access, and having fenced grounds.
Province says homelessness up 91%
In a statement announcing the project was resuming in its original location, Housing Minister Ravi Kahlon said the province was committed to helping connect people with housing and supports.
"This project is crucial to helping address the urgent need for long-term, supportive housing to deal with the growing number of people facing homelessness in Richmond," he said. "[It] has increased 91 [per cent] since the pandemic to more than 160 people at last count."
Kahlon said that, during the months-long pause on the project, B.C. Housing staff evaluated five other sites in Richmond, and none were suitable for the housing block for various reasons.
Sheldon Starrett, a local resident and an organizer with Keep Richmond Safe, says he continues to have concerns over open drug use as a result of the project, saying that temporary shelters in the city have led to more discarded drug paraphernalia and visible crime nearby.
"We felt that the city had failed to mitigate the negative and harmful impacts of those sites," he said.
Kahlon encouraged anyone with concerns about the site to reach out to B.C. Housing, but also said there was a lot of misinformation about the project.
He said there would be more consultation sessions with local residents starting in March.
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With files from On The Coast and The Early Edition