Goal 2: A home for everyone

A home for everyone

Our goal: A range of affordable housing choices is available for all Vancouverites

HOMELESSNESS

Total sheltered and street homeless persons counted in the 2018 count

Having a place to call home gives us a sense of security, control, belonging, identity, and privacy. There has been some progress toward affordable housing targets, though more work remains. Vancouver is less affordable than other cities, and rental vacancy rates are lower.

Considerations for this goal include:

Homelessness and related physical and mental health issues
Housing affordability

Our targets: End street homelessness, enable 2,900 new supportive housing units, and add 5,000 new social housing units

Progress we've made so far

RENTALS SINCE 2011

TOTAL: 12,706
Source: City of Vancouver, Housing Policy and Projects, 2016

Read our success stories

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Households spending 30% or more of income on housing
- 37% of households spend more than 30% of total income on shelter costs (2016)
  Source: Long-form Census/ National Household Survey (Statistics Canada)
Sheltered and unsheltered homeless
- There are 1,522 sheltered and 659 street homeless persons counted (2018)
  Source: City of Vancouver, Homeless Count
- 35% of sheltered and 46% of unsheltered homeless persons counted report Indigenous identity (2018)
  Source: City of Vancouver, Homeless Count
New supportive, social, secured rental and secondary rental housing units
- 1,780 supportive, 3,535 social, and 7,391 secured rental have been committed, constructed or completed since 2011 (2017)
  Source: City of Vancouver, Housing Policy and Projects
One supportive housing project previously reported is now on hold.
The Vancouver Housing and Homelessness Strategy has three key strategic directions:
1. To increase the supply of affordable housing;
2. to encourage a housing mix across all neighbourhoods that enhances quality of life; and
3. to provide strong leadership and support partners to enhance housing stability.