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Vancouver Council Rejects City-Owned For‑Profit Housing Corporation Plan

The defeated proposal envisioned self-developing roughly 4,000 market rentals on six civic sites to capture long-term revenue.

Overview

  • Council voted 7–4 against the motion, falling short of the two‑thirds majority required for approval.
  • Staff proposed a separate city‑owned corporation that would operate as a government business enterprise and pursue joint ventures targeting about a 50% equity stake.
  • A staff report identified six properties assessed at more than $411 million and estimated about $8 million in startup costs, with projected net dividends eventually reaching roughly $250 million per year over decades.
  • The initial project outlined was a 100‑unit rental building on Main Street in Vancouver.
  • Staff cautioned that returns could underperform or result in losses, while an outside expert warned that offering below top‑dollar rents would effectively spend public money.