In a resounding 7-3 vote, Vancouver City Council quashed OneCity Councillor Christine Boyle’s sweeping motion — backed by Mayor Kennedy Stewart — that would have opened the door to 12-storey social housing developments city-wide without the requirement for public hearings.

More than 100 speakers told Council they oppose the motion’s attempt to block residents’ right to be heard on how their communities evolve. “This motion rips up community plans and silences neighbourhoods,” said one speaker. Speakers criticized the City’s definition of social housing (where 30% of a development are below market rates and 70% are market rental) and urged Council to come up with a clearer and more equitable definition.

Mayor Kennedy Stewart and Councillors Christine Boyle and Jean Swanson voted to support the plan, while Councillors Colleen Hardwick, Peter Fry, Rebecca Bligh, Lisa Dominato and Sara Kirby-Yung voted in opposition.

Speakers identified significant problems with the motion, including the loss of existing, more affordable housing and the resulting “demoviction” of tenants. Elizabeth Murphy of West Point Grey Residents Association said new development would result in a land lift in the RM-3 and RM-4 zones and the area surrounding it ,which could lead to speculation. “The idea that we keep rezoning to meet what the developers want is a mug’s game,” she said.

Tom Armstrong, CEO of Co-operative Housing Federation, said he was “dismayed” by the push-back against the motion and pointed out that non-profits and co-ops are not speculators. “Trust me, we don’t have bags of cash waiting to buy up land in Vancouver.

Vancouver Architect Brian Palmquist, who was involved in a City panel on social housing, said he resigned from the group because he was on a “fool’s errand.” He said City staff doesn’t listen to the advice of experts or experienced neighbours on different ways to increase affordable housing. A social housing advocate told Council that Coun. Boyle’s motion won’t achieve what it aims to do, such as deepening affordability because it doesn’t help people making minimum wage or less. Those people, she said, are “hanging on by their nails.”

Cllr. Lisa Dominato agreed with Cllr. Hardwick that the City needs to find better ways of creating affordable housing. “It is absolutely essential that we listen to the people,” said Hardwick.