The Lower Mainland is in the middle of a housing crisis. People are struggling to find housing and more people are at risk of homelessness. Be part of the solution by signing this petition and supporting more housing being built. 

I work in health care and assist young people to find jobs and register for school. I know first hand that housing is an integral part of people getting the support they need and making positive changes in their lives.

There is a change.org petition to stop this project and over 1,800 have signed it. Many are concerned about safety and crime rates increasing and property values decreasing. Research shows that in fact, supportive housing can have a mitigating impact on neighbourhood crime (Jadidzadeh et al, 2023; Woo & Jon, 2015; Albright et al, 2013) and is associated with an increase in property values (Center, 2008 & Glaster, 2004). Furthermore, supportive housing has been shown to decrease homelessness, decrease emergency department use, decrease hospitalizations, and decrease mortality (Peng et al, 2020). Housing saves lives.

The District of North Vancouver is working with partners, BC Housing, Lu’ma Native Housing Society, and Vancouver Coastal Health, to build Supportive Housing at the 1200 block on East Keith Rd.

The application as submitted proposes a six-storey building with 60 studio homes, and five units with Complex Care Housing services for members of North Shore communities who are experiencing, or at risk of homelessness. It includes on-site parking spaces for staff and visitors.

I have contacted the District of North Vancouver and was informed that this petition will be accepted and forwarded to the council members. Please sign and enter your postal code, and any comments you have and I will submit a list of names, postal codes, and comments to the District on January 15th at the next scheduled Public Hearing for the 1200 Block East Keith Road Supportive Housing Project. https://www.dnv.org/events

Thank-you for your support of this very important project.

 

References

 

Albright, L., Derickson, E. S., & Massey, D. S. (2013). Do affordable housing projects harm suburban communities? Crime, property values, and taxes in Mount Laurel, NJ. City & community, 12(2), 89-112.

Center, F. (2008). The impact of supportive housing on surrounding neighborhoods: Evidence from New York City.

Galster, G., Tatian, P., & Pettit, K. (2004). Supportive housing and neighborhood property value externalities. Land economics, 80(1), 33-54.

Jadidzadeh, A., MacLellan, C., Kneebone, R., & Dutton, D. J. (2023). The impact of Housing First participation on police-reported crime and crime severity. Journal of Social Distress and Homelessness, 32(2), 281-290.

Peng, Y., Hahn, R. A., Finnie, R. K., Cobb, J., Williams, S. P., Fielding, J. E., ... & Community Preventive Services Task Force. (2020). Permanent supportive housing with housing first to reduce homelessness and promote health among homeless populations with disability: a community guide systematic review. Journal of public health management and practice, 26(5), 404-411.

Woo, A., & Joh, K. (2015). Beyond anecdotal evidence: Do subsidized housing developments increase neighborhood crime?. Applied Geography, 64, 87-96.