VANCOUVER (Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh Territories) - The City of Vancouver has quietly dropped its legal defense of the supportive housing development at 8th and Arbutus.

It has dropped its defense despite a resounding mandate from Vancouver’s voters to build social and supportive housing in the 2025 by-election. In doing so, it has set a precedent that undermines the system of housing approvals in Vancouver - demonstrating that developments that are approved at City Council can nevertheless be resisted through lawsuits.

This fully-funded development, which would have provided badly-needed supportive housing, was the subject of a marathon public hearing. At this hearing, hundreds of people were able to give their input over six days. Following their input, City Council decisively voted to approve the project.

The public hearing was then challenged in court. While the City of Vancouver had previously defended the project, it is now declining to do so - setting the project back considerably, and delaying the construction of badly-needed supportive housing.

While there is technically no barrier to the project proponent applying for a new rezoning, the Kitsilano Coalition, the group that challenged the project in court, indicated in an email to supporters that the Mayor’s Office has “shown interest” in changing the project to their liking.

In a statement to the Vancouver Sun, Ken Sim indicated that his ban on net-new supportive housing would not affect “in-stream” developments like this one. Despite this statement, the City - under his leadership - has dropped its legal defense of its own processes. 

OneCity Vancouver councillor Lucy Maloney:

“Ken Sim put his anti-supportive housing agenda on the ballot in the by-election - and it failed miserably.

Despite his rebuke by the voters, he hasn’t shifted course - now, he’s surrendering on projects that were already well underway.

A new public hearing must be scheduled without delay, for the same proposal, without watering it down.”