Mayor Gregor Robertson says ending homelessness "non-negotiable responsibility" in third inaugural address

    1 of 1 2 of 1

      Gregor Robertson launched his third term as Vancouver mayor today (December 8) with a speech focused on many of the subjects that dominated the recent election campaign, including affordability, housing, and rapid transit for the Broadway corridor.

      In his inaugural address at the Creekside Community Recreation Centre after being sworn in, Robertson vowed to continue working with senior governments on homelessness. 

      "Let me repeat something I’ve said many times before: ending homelessness isn’t an aspiration, or a rhetorical flourish," he said. "In a city as wealthy as Vancouver, it’s a non-negotiable responsibility for every one of us."

      The mayor also pledged to work with leaders across the region to build support ahead of a referendum on transit funding, and reiterated a Vision Vancouver campaign promise to expand school breakfast programs.

      "Affordability has to be front and centre on our agenda," he stated. "The citizens who contributed to the affordability task force developed a wide range of recommendations that we’ll be adopting in the coming months."

      Robertson said Vancouver will move forward with its new affordable housing agency to build housing on city-owned land and generate a "dramatic increase" in rental units.

      "Families renting homes in Vancouver deserve a better option than paying palace-sized rents on postage-stamp apartments," he said.

      Another Vision campaign promise reiterated during Robertson's speech was a pledge to "oppose plans that would send a surge of oil tankers through our waters".

      The mayor also stated that a Broadway subway wouldn't turn the route into "a wall of glass towers", and pleaded for public support of the project in the upcoming referendum.

      The inauguration ceremony marked the official start of a four-year term for the new Vancouver council. All councillors were reelected on November 15, except for Vision Vancouver councillor Tony Tang. NPA councillor Melissa De Genova joins as the only new politician to council chambers.

      During his election night speech, Robertson vowed change during his third term, and said Vision Vancouver heard "loud and clear" from voters during the campaign that there are things the party can do better.

      In his address today, the mayor again cited a resolve to "do more, and do better".

      He also said the next four years will require an "openness to the ideas, perspectives and voices of every member of council".

      "I’m proud of the Vision platform, but there are solid, innovative ideas that the Green Party advanced in the campaign," he said. "The NPA offered ideas to improve transparency that merit attention. COPE may not have an elected voice on Council, but the principles and values they advocated will."

      Vision Vancouver lost its majority on the Vancouver park board and school board in the election. The park board, whose new members were sworn in last week, is now NPA-dominated.

      The new council is meeting briefly this evening to approve measures such as committee appointments and meeting dates. The first regular meeting will take place December 16.

      Comments

      13 Comments

      The Truth

      Dec 8, 2014 at 4:16pm

      "Robertson said Vancouver will move forward with its new affordable housing agency to build housing on city-owned land and generate a "dramatic increase" in rental housing."

      Despite the fact he has a very close working relationship with nearly every major developer he has done next to nothing in the last 6 years. Why will it be different now? The province has done far more than Vision despite Gregor's propaganda. Talk is cheap.

      JF

      Dec 8, 2014 at 5:01pm

      Ending homelessness is about as empty a promise as ending crime. Get real.

      0 0Rating: 0

      Mark

      Dec 8, 2014 at 7:04pm

      You can't end homelessness completely. Vancouver has a mild climate compared to the rest of Canada, making it an instant attraction for those who end up living on the streets. Of course, there's always "Build it and they will come."

      As for affordability, both ownership and renting costs have gone up during Vision's tenure. I really don't see anything that's going to happen differently from now on.

      Durk

      Dec 8, 2014 at 10:16pm

      Moonbeam you're an ass clown making false promises you'll never ever live up to. Ending homelessness by next year? Yeah right. Or has the date changed because you sadly got re-elected? The developers love you because you let them keep building condos. Rentals? Nope, not going to happen. I'm pissed off you got elected guess the left wing unions got your vote.

      BringThaNoize

      Dec 9, 2014 at 12:11am

      Politicians are professional liars...do the 'read my lips' math.....

      Save Vancouver

      Dec 9, 2014 at 7:59am

      If they care so much about affordable housing why are they letting one of their developer-donors tear down the affordable, family-oriented Marine Gardens in South Vancouver to build more shoeboxes in the sky?

      Mark has it right

      Dec 9, 2014 at 10:15am

      I agree with Mark. This is exactly what happened during the Great Depression. Out of work and newly-homeless people from across Canada flocked to Vancouver because living outside in every other city in Canada is brutal during the winter. Add to this the incredible support system that has developed in Vancouver in the last 20 years, plus the availability of cheap drugs, has made Vancouver a Mecca for the homeless. This is a Federal problem to be shared by all Canadians and not thrust on the backs of the citizens of Vancouver and BC. It will never end.

      Tommy Khang

      Dec 9, 2014 at 10:32am

      I think Gregor needs to check his day planner because 2015 is like 22 days away from now and I don't think homelessness is magically vanishing anytime soon. I wonder if in 2018 we will still be hearing this same spiel.

      RUK

      Dec 9, 2014 at 1:47pm

      It's just words, but there are some good words in there. He is setting out Vision's list of priorities, things like addressing homelessness, hunger, rental affordability, incorporating NPA, Green and COPE ideas, and a Broadway subway. That's not meeting any targets but it is setting targets.

      If you haven't worked in a large business or a government, you might not realize how hard it is to get people to commit to any specific agenda at all. It's scary for these guys to do it because anything they say will get crapped on, so they prefer to say nothing.

      I think that if council can move 50% to their target in just three years it would be a huge win for the city.

      We'll see.

      Everyone should be skeptical which is not the same as obstructionist.

      Seriously?

      Dec 10, 2014 at 10:21am

      What a wonderful rhetorical twist declaring previous rhetoric regarding an issue wasn't just rhetoric and has actual substance. Unfortunately the hard copies of this address and other similar media moments are the only substance from Robertson on the issue. Under Vision the city has been going down a similar path that New York took in the 60's & 70's leasing disused motels & hotels from developers & speculators then giving a "non-profit" more money to run the operation. The system is ripe for abuse and bulk transfer of taxpayer dollars to various people, groups & organizations who's entire existence is predicated upon maintaining the suffering. The poverty industry has no interest in "ending" any suffering for either financial or ideological reasons. Robertson has done a great job wearing the Cape of "social justice warrior" whilst accomplishing less than his Vision or NPA predecessors on the homeless issue.

      Vision have four years to transfer more taxpayer wealth to their friends. Four years from now we will still have homelessness, our taxes will be higher, developers will be richer, Marpole & Grandview-Woodlands will look more like Metrotown and Roberston will be entering one of the "higher" levels of taxpayer pillaging as a "star" candidate. The taxpayer funded propaganda stream from the renewed regime will continue unabated but whenever one draws back the curtain a little we can see how little has changed.