Chinatown Group Sets Out Own Neighbourhood Plan

Rather than being content with the City’s plans for the neighbourhood they call home, an activist group in Chinatown has come up with its own plan for the community that has seen more than its fair share of controversy recently.

The Chinatown Action Plan group’s plan, The People’s Vision for Chinatown, focuses on many aspects of affordability, social needs and heritage protection in the area, with local housing one of the key priorities. It says that expensive housing in the community, for sale and rent, means that long-time residents are being displaced in favour of those with higher incomes, “which deepens economic disparity.”

It adds: “Current rental stock is not in good condition, and some buildings are poorly maintained and hazardous.Not enough new social housing units are being built, and current waitlists for existing social housing are getting longer. People also have difficulty applying for social housing due to language barriers.”

The group says that only 19% of housing in the low-income area is social housing, and sets out a number of ambitious proposed solutions.

Its most ambitious target is for 50% of all new housing built in Chinatown to be “permanent affordable social housing for low-income people, including people with and without fixed incomes.”

In terms of rental housing, the group advocates, “New permanent, purpose-built rental housing that is affordable for working-class families and independent seniors. All non-social housing units in the neighbourhood should meet these criteria. As much housing as possible to be owned and operated by the government, so as to maintain permanent affordability and provide the most public benefit.”

Retail displacement was another key factor cited as affecting affordability in the neighbourhood, with many “local businesses that have a history of serving low-income residents” being displaced or shut down by rising rents and property taxes.

The plan was created after two years of public consultation with more than 500 Chinatown residents through a series of door-to-door surveys, interviews and facilitated “tea time” discussions.