Ravi Kahlon, Minister of Housing and Municipal Affairs, has released the following statement about supportive housing in Richmond: 

“Our government is committed to connecting people with the housing and supports they need to get on a better path and live full, healthy lives. We’re also dedicated to keeping communities and businesses safe.

“In summer 2024, we temporarily paused moving forward with the proposed supportive housing project at 3780 Sexsmith Rd. in Richmond so BC Housing staff could explore other potential sites.

“Since then, staff have evaluated five other locations within the community.

“Upon review, it was determined that these sites would not meet the needs for supportive housing for various reasons, such as location, lot size and proximity to key services. These are important factors that support residents’ abilities to stabilize their lives, successfully integrate within the community and access required services.

“Furthermore, shifting to a new location at this stage would require new project designs, adding significant delays to project completion.

“After careful consideration and exploring all viable options within the community, we have determined the Sexsmith site remains the best option for a supportive housing site in Richmond.

“This project is crucial to helping address the urgent need for long-term, supportive housing to deal with the growing number of people facing homelessness in Richmond, which has increased 91% since the pandemic to more than 160 people at last count.  

“We will now initiate engagement with neighbours by organizing facilitated dialogue sessions starting in March 2025. Invitations will be sent to neighbours, providing an opportunity to further discuss the project. We will also continue working with city staff and stakeholders to safely integrate this housing into the community.

“Following this engagement, the site will be put forward to Richmond city council for final consideration. I would like to acknowledge the work of Richmond city council to date, and members of council’s assertions on the need to move forward with permanent supportive housing in Richmond.

“Lastly, there has been a significant amount of misinformation about this project. I encourage neighbours to engage directly with BC Housing on the project, either through the upcoming neighbourhood dialogue sessions, submitting questions and feedback directly to BC Housing, and learning more about the proposal online. 

“This building will be purpose-built for supportive housing, allowing residents to gather indoors. It will have 24/7 staffing and security features, such as cameras, fencing and lighting. Clean-up teams will help keep surroundings tidy, and neighbours will be able to report concerns via a dedicated phone line with the housing provider.

“We will continue working with BC Housing, the City of Richmond and residents, to bring inside people who are sheltering outdoors, and build a safer and healthier community for everyone.”

Learn More:

Learn more about BC Housing's proposal here: 
https://letstalkhousingbc.ca/richmond-cambie-sexsmith