Citywide Housing Coalition is committed to ending homelessness.

Our motto is: “Homes For All”.

We came together in the Spring of 2007 when it was clear that the housing promises made in the bid for the 2010 Olympics were not going to be kept.

Citywide Housing Coalition believes homelessness will be eliminated only when:

• there is a permanent national housing program funded by all levels of government.
• welfare and minimum wage rates are increased.

We believe that public education and raising awareness will result in a change in government policy so that social housing will be built and income levels raised.

Our actions include:

• Community meetings, press conferences, marches and co-production of the Downtown Eastside opera “Condemned”.
• A letter writing campaign requesting the federal government to restore a national housing program.
• Support of “Stands for Housing” in Vancouver and throughout the Province.

The results of public education and raising awareness:

• Purchase of 16 DTES hotels for a total of 925 units, 115 of which are new stock (previously empty). The remaining were already occupied.
• In December, the City of Vancouver and B.C. Housing signed a memorandum of understanding to develop about 1,200 units of social and supportive housing on 12 city-owned sites.
• Media responded to our definition of Olympic commitments (3200 units of housing);
• Growing unity and involvement of Vancouver residents and organizations to influence policy makers and in their understanding of how governments cause poverty and homelessness.