VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – Concerns by Downtown Eastside activists have failed to sway Vancouver City Council, which has approved a development on East Hastings.

The City says the development will bring it closer to its goal for social housing. But opponents like Karen Ward don’t like the large number of market housing.

“That, in itself, is going to cause gentrification of that end of the Downtown Eastside, causing increased land values [and] more pressure on low income residents,” she argues.

Mayor Gregor Robertson, in supporting the project, is critical of the provincial and federal governments.

“Because there is no funding available to build social housing or increase the amount of welfare rate homes in this building and many others, we are forced to be creative,” he maintains.

Twenty per cent of the units in the development will be used for social housing, although only a fraction of those would be at welfare rate. The City notes the project will bring it within 231 units of its target of 1,500 non-market housing units for 2014.