While Vancouver waits for its new art gallery, the City of Vancouver is hoping the parking lot on Cambie Street between Dunsmuir and West Georgia can help alleviate the city’s homelessness crisis.
The city has mailed out a notification card to Crosstown residents, advising that the parking lot at 688 Cambie Street is being considered as a site for temporary modular housing.
Two modular housing buildings are proposed for the Dunsmuir Street side of the parking lot, with a total of 100 suites for singles. A minimum of 10 per cent of suites will be wheelchair accessible. All units are self-contained, with their own bathroom and kitchen.
The temporary modular housing will be in place for three to five years, with the option to extend for another five years. The city says the temporary housing will not delay or impact construction of the new Vancouver Art Gallery.
The city is midway through building 1,000 new social housing and supportive housing units across the city, many of which are temporary modular housing units.
The units are preferred by the city as they can be set up in as little as four months from the date of permit approval. They can also be relocated and reconfigured in the future.
Despite the city’s efforts, homelessness in Vancouver continues to rise. The 2018 homeless count showed 2,181 people are facing homelessness in Vancouver, up two per cent from 2017.
