VANCOUVER, B.C. – The Green Party of Vancouver candidates for the Vancouver Board of Education (VBE) plan to explore, if elected, options for workforce housing for school board teachers and support staff through targeted development of non-school or portions of large school sites.

Estrellita Gonzalez introduced a motion at tonight’s school board meeting “to identify, in collaboration with stakeholders and VBE partners at the City of Vancouver, ways of utilizing VBE-owned land for the development of workforce housing.”

“We know that many teachers and support workers would love to work in Vancouver but the lack of affordable housing deters many from deciding to apply for jobs here, and others are not able to stay,” says Gonzalez. “What if the VBE were able to work collaboratively with employee groups to be able to offer workforce housing?”

Lois Chan-Pedley, a Green candidate for school board, supports this idea saying, “Having to decide between leaving the city we love and having a home with enough space to raise our children was an impossible choice for my family.”

“My family turned to co-housing as a way to stay in Vancouver. All levels of government, including school board, need to come up with unique solutions to the challenges we face in living in a rapidly changing city.”

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More information:

Notice of Motion – Workforce Housing (page 222-223)

Media contact

Alex Brunke, Press Secretary

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