December 18, 2018
On Spatial Justice, with Jennifer Bradshaw & Stuart Smith of Abundant Housing Vancouver
“The price of exclusivity in Shaughnessy, Kerrisdale and West Point Grey is gentrification everywhere else.”
Much has been said about Vancouver’s housing crisis, and much has been promised. But now things are about to get real — and advocacy groups are ready. Particularly at Abundant Housing Vancouver.
AHV is a voice for more — policy reform (renter protections, land value capture, zoning laws), non-market housing, and purpose-built rental units. For this, not to mention the specious claims they’re in the pockets of wealthy developers, they’re also the target of vitriol from the anti-supply side crowd, status quo preservationists, and a grab-bag of Twitter trolls.
AHV directors Jennifer Bradshaw and Stuart Smith joined PT Managing Editor Colin Stein for a chat about what pulled them into housing advocacy, what they’re pushing for, and how they deal with the endless antagonism. And of course, to help define ‘spatial justice’…the implications of which may change the city, and the region, forever.
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What do the Queen of Mean, the Taj, the Pyramids, the Terracotta Army, sports stadiums, the Olympics, Elon Musk sending a car into space … have in common?
The Queen of Mean, convicted felon for tax evasion, the tyrant who treated workers like dirt, croaked having a cash pile of $8 billion. She had a mausoleum constructed that cost $1.2M US back in ‘07. And she left $12M for her mutt.
There’s tons of money available to do good. Instead, there’s this appalling hubris. It’s psychopathic.
At least some of the above became tourist attractions and generated tourism dollars over the years. The Queen of Mean’s mausoleum?
Building a boondoggle bridge for commuters – sexy. Building shelter – boring.
Andrew Carnegie was widely viewed as a tough s.o.b., but his legacy is the public library system. We should all be grateful for that.
How hard would it be for a multi-billionaire to do the same for housing? Nah, it’s more fun to own sports franchises and sell crap commercial beer and lousy hot dogs. Make more money. Make more money.
Watching Shark Tank, or Dragon’s Den … what a ridiculous pile of money-grubbing toads. This activity excites them. This is their social life. Sitting with their ilk. Making deals. Selling more garbage.
Are you holding out hope that some swarthy rebel billionaire will take on Vancouver’s housing problem? How would that work? Imagine if Richard Branson bumped his head mid-orbit and suddenly decided to make our housing crisis his life’s mission. Just imagine the citizenry’s response to his well-intended benevolence. I’d give that six seasons and a movie. No, the only ones who are going to get us out of our current state are: 1) mere millionaire developers, and 2) the citizenry itself, when they stop being so damn precious about their untouchable neighbourhoods.
Hopeful? Hardly.
During the Irish Potato Famine, while 1.2-1.5 million died, and another 2 million left the country, tons of qualty foods were exported regularly to England.
Utterly heartless. Murderous. Genocidal.
“Them that’s got shall get, them that’s not shall lose …”
Hopeful? No.