City Hall abandons social housing development: Kitsilano Coalition

A coalition of community members in Kitsilano says that the City of Vancouver has withdrawn its efforts of developing a social housing project at a Kitsilano site.

“The city owned site at 7th and 8th and Arbutus is no longer rezoned or approved for development,” said the Kitsilano Coalition the group opposing the social housing project.

This ends a yearlong court battle between the municipal government and Kitsilano Coalition.

After the municipal government announced its plan of rezoning the city-owned site at 8th and Arbutus street in July 2022, the Kitsilano Coalition filled a court suite seeking judicial review of the rezoning.

In December 2024, the BC Court of Appeal ruled in an unanimous decision that the legislation around the proposed development was unconstitutional.

Vancouver City Councillor Pete Fry explains the original public hearing preceding the city’s approval of the proposed development was ruled invalid.

“Neighbors and residents had successfully mounted a legal campaign that essentially overruled the public hearing,” Fry said.

City of Vancouver defended rezoning project

Nevertheless, the city of Vancouver has defended its rezoning project since the court ruling. With Mayor Ken Sim even saying back in February that supportive housing projects, including the project planned for Arbutus Street in Kitsilano, are intended to move ahead.

However, with Monday’s announcement, the municipal government seems to have retreated from this course and consented to the court’s decision of December 2024.

“It looks like this project may not proceed,” confirmed City Councillor Fry to 1130 NewsRadio.

“Now, he [Mayor Sim] is surrendering on projects that were already well underway,” said OneCity Vancouver councillor Lucy Maloney.

She adds that this decision is a setback, delaying the construction of badly needed supportive housing.

The Kitsilano Coalition, on the other hand, says that the project would have been an inefficient and ineffective use of City owned land and funding

The organization adds that they are encouraged by initial discussions with Mayor Sim’s office and City staff to develop a better, community-supported solution.

The organization hope this marks the end of legal proceedings in this matter.