Richmond Mayor Malcolm Brodie said the withdrawal of support stemmed from what he said was a lack of transparency, as council had apparently not been told of what other sites were considered before the project was restarted.
A Richmond supportive housing project that had been put on pause by the province following community backlash and later restarted has now had its approval revoked by city council.
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Mayor Malcolm Brodie said the withdrawal of support stemmed from what council viewed as a lack of transparency, as the city had apparently not been told of what other sites were considered before the provincially funded project was restarted.
“Council heard loud and clear from the community that it had concerns with this location and that the provincial government alarmed residents when it suspended the process before reinstating it,” said Brodie on Thursday.
“While we need projects to support our residents, we must also listen to, and respect, community wishes.”
The six-storey 90-unit project was halted just before the provincial election in October after facing much outcry from neighbours and concerned residents last summer over its location at Cambie and Sexsmith, which is a city-owned lot.
“These are important factors that support residents’ abilities to stabilize their lives, successfully integrate within the community and access required services,” Kahlon had said.
“Furthermore, shifting to a new location at this stage would require new project designs, adding significant delays to project completion.”
Brodie said council was not told the locations of the five lots, nor how they were evaluated. He maintained council was not quashing the idea of supportive housing, only emphasizing the need for more consideration of resident concerns.
“Any permanent supportive housing location should meet the needs of both residents and the community,” he said. “Government failed to do this by simply relaunching the project in a location that would clearly no longer have community support.”
The project was intended to house those currently living at two temporary supportive housing buildings in Richmond, on Alderbridge and Aster Place. Those facilities are funded by B.C. Housing with leases set to expire in late 2027.
Postmedia has reached out to Kahlon’s office for comment.
More to come.