Convert Vancouver golf course into housing for the homeless

[JimDandy]

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/golf-courses-vancouver-public-affordability-1.4412146

Guess who spoke about this so eloquently back in 92:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z4w7H48tBS8

JD

 

[FreeG]

I'm OK with that! (don't play golf, think they're a horrible waste of space & natural resources).

How about turn half into housing, the other half into a mtn bike park!

 

[storm rider]

So take a large developed green space that people enjoy(I play golf) and rip it up for public(affordable housing) even though the green space generates revenue.Wow that idea sounds just plain FUCKED and is also just slimy with the snake oil of pure Socialism.Same as the Supreme Idiot's press release today about spending 40 Billion(starting in 2021 which is 2 years AFTER the outcome of the NEXT Federal Election) and saying that "housing" is a "right"....it is not a fucking RIGHT....it is a PRIVELEDGE and you pay for it with either rent or a mortgage.Of course Trudeau can yap about the Socialist approach as he is not affected nor would the very valuable properties he inherited via his trust fund.

SR

 

[wetnose]

Great idea, whose time has come! As long as it's not paved over for more single family suburban homes.

I'd love to see Fraserview golf course replaced by something like this:

https://www.world-habitat.org/world...rs-and-finalists/tampines-town/#award-content

Edit: actually Langara might be a better choice since they already have a subway station

 

[summerbreeze]

think a compromise might be the way to go although I really think it would be a shame to lose any golf course land in Vancouver area

compromise would be to develop half of the golf course and keep a 9 hole executive course

fewer people have the time to play 18 holes these days and of course they could play two rounds of 9 to get their 18 hole fix

 

[badbadboy]

Losing any green space is a poor choice no matter what the quick solutions are to a problem. They are good for neighbourhoods, good for C02 generation and pleasing to the overall needs of the city's population as a whole. Can you imagine if Stanley Park was developed to temporarily solve a homeless problem? Total outrage from all corners.

I was listening to a discussion about modular housing on the radio while driving home. A very articulate 'Vision' supporter spoke about how the Marpole area is against the modular housing proposal. The citizens of the area recognize the homeless problem won't easily go away and are concerned about the lack of police presence or responsiveness to reports of theft and break-ins in the area. Numerous reports of thefts went without response. A comment was made about their bike lockers being repeatedly broken into and recovering their bikes from the Biltmore Hotel. Crazy.

I would think the council would consult and work with the communities, police and Provincial Govt before implementing a housing policy such as this one.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/briti...n-vancouver-s-marpole-neighbourhood-1.4389762

 

[UhOh]

Sure send a message to every hobo on Canada that Vancouver is the place to be. Don't bother getting a job and getting off crack, we'll just give you a free home to park your ass.

 

[papillion]

think a compromise might be the way to go although I really think it would be a shame to lose any golf course land in Vancouver area

compromise would be to develop half of the golf course and keep a 9 hole executive course

fewer people have the time to play 18 holes these days and of course they could play two rounds of 9 to get their 18 hole fix

Good points, and a workable solution.
Many studies have shown vancity doesn't have shortage of housing, the problem is so many buyers are speculators that the supply of afforadable housing is in short supply.
Homelessness is costing our local economy hundred of millions annually.

 

[JimDandy]

Did anyone even watch the video I attached to my original post? I expected at least one or two chuckles ;-( That was my whole motivation for making the post lol.

JD

 

[rayrice]

Did anyone even watch the video I attached to my original post? I expected at least one or two chuckles ;-( That was my whole motivation for making the post lol.

JD

I guess a few of these people don't get it .... I do like the idea with the cemeteries though.

 

[wetnose]

What I'd love to see is a mixed-development initiative (funded 100% by government) that charges rent set @ 20% of median income, with floating subsidies for seniors or low income citizens. Incorporate a walkable village center (e.g. Metrotown 2) so ideally, people don't have to commute.

Build it super dense (i.e. clusters of 50 storey towers) so you can afford to incorporate green space. Green space that'd be appreciated by more than just 1,000 golfers.

 

[westwoody]

Vancouver needs all the green space it has.

Long time ago in Scotland some city courses were open public parks on weekends.

 

[FreeG]

I guess a few of these people don't get it .... I do like the idea with the cemeteries though.

Chuckles^100. Thanks for the prompt on the vid - the guy is still a legend. I would have been giving a standing O during that routine too!

 

[badbadboy]

Did anyone even watch the video I attached to my original post? I expected at least one or two chuckles ;-( That was my whole motivation for making the post lol.

JD

I went back to view it. Love Carlin's routines, that one included.

I still wouldn't give up green space to provide housing for the homeless. Even if the land was used for playing fields or turning it into parks is a better idea.

BTW, I totally agree about the cemetery suggestion. I suspect there would be a bigger pushback from the families of their buried relatives. I could never get my head around paying for a little plot of land for a dead person.

 

[storm rider]

Haha, ‘if you find a better use for my golf course that’s socialism...’

Hate to break it to you but your police, fire, anmbulance, healthcare, golf course, not to mention PERB which charges no fees, are all public goods with costs that are socialized. So, maybe you need to re-think that angle.

Vancouver’s housing situation is in a horrible state. If pissing off a few entitled golfers would help alleviate some of the problem, I say slice up the golf courses and leave nothing but one measley space for mini golf...complete with a mini wind mill even.

Actually the Police/Fire/Ambulance services of the GVDR are public services paid for by Taxpayers via Municipal TAXES and Healthcare is paid for by the Province that is paid for via Provincial Taxes that are taken in to the Federal Government and re-distributed via the Federal Transfer Payment system(and Quebec gets MORE) and guess what.....every single PUBLIC SECTOR worker be it police/fire/ems/healthcare etc get a nice FAT defined benefit pension that is indexed to inflation.....those people include garbage men as well the the bureaucrats(they get paid more) and so on and so forth.That is why there is a year over year over year raise for property taxes.....to pay for the pigs at the trough who are under worked and over paid.....and ALL thanks to Public Sector Unions.At the same time our Politicians pander to them....when Alison Redford won the leadership vote for the PC party her biggest plank was a 2 BILLION bailout for the Alberta Teachers Union pension plan.......if that Pension Plan was sustainable why the fuck did it need to be bailed out for 2 BILLION?

There is not a SINGLE company in the Private Sector that offers a "Defined Benefit" pension plan in Canada.If an worker gets a matching plan that contributes as much s he/she does that is damn good and enviable.

The worst thing Canadian Taxpayers are saddled with is paying for the disgustingly high costs of Defined Benefit pensions of both public sector workers and even worse is the cost of our Politicians who fuck us over via bullshit such as initiatves such as Climate Change.

SR

 

[BobbyMcgee]

SR-have not read your specific employment situation, but man you sure can rant over any public employee career. My guess is you either made a really poor choice years ago and regret it, or personally know people who work in the public sector and cannot stand them. Given the hundreds of thousands, or more likely several million public sector workers in our country that save lives, work extremely challenging jobs and many are very well educated to do so, you just seem like one incredibly bitter person toward good hard working conscientious people who you actually do NOT know. I really doubt the ER nurse at Royal Columbian, at the end of a 12hour shift with no breaks, chose that line of work based on the thought of a guaranteed retirement plan, IT comes with the job. Anyways, hope you still have enough time to change careers, or make the millions upon millions needed to have a happy retired life. BM

 

[overdone]

SR-have not read your specific employment situation, but man you sure can rant over any public employee career. My guess is you either made a really poor choice years ago and regret it, or personally know people who work in the public sector and cannot stand them. Given the hundreds of thousands, or more likely several million public sector workers in our country that save lives, work extremely challenging jobs and many are very well educated to do so, you just seem like one incredibly bitter person toward good hard working conscientious people who you actually do NOT know. I really doubt the ER nurse at Royal Columbian, at the end of a 12hour shift with no breaks, chose that line of work based on the thought of a guaranteed retirement plan, IT comes with the job. Anyways, hope you still have enough time to change careers, or make the millions upon millions needed to have a happy retired life. BM

poor Red bought a Mazda Miata convertible, then later found out it was a chick's car

clearly therapy hasn't worked, it's clearly a transference issue :hopelessness:

when Alison Redford won the leadership vote for the PC party her biggest plank was a 2 BILLION bailout for the Alberta Teachers Union pension plan.......if that Pension Plan was sustainable why the fuck did it need to be bailed out for 2 BILLION?

if you're going to rant, get your facts straight :rant:

it was unsteady Eddie who did it, cause he had no balls, same reason he ran away from politics when someone threatened to call him names

 

[summerbreeze]

for the most part, the municipalities don't get involved directly with real estate development unless it is low income housing

they tend to let the private sector develop real estate

none of the golf courses in Vancouver other than perhaps the renfrew pitch and put are in neighborhoods suitable for low income housing so doubtful they would consider developing them

as the news article linked to this post says, the municipality owns large land parcels and spinning off other land for housing may be one course of action

the golf course issue would likely be a political motive vs housing or economic motive, only when a majority of votes could justify the action would they consider converting golf courses to housing projects

in general, when you take something away from the public there will huge outcry, it is the concept of taking away something which is so distasteful

coke found that out the hard way when they discontinued the classic coke. market studies, testing, all indicated that a new coke was required to compete going forward. they launched the new coke and announced they were discontinuing the old one and all hell broke loose

they finally had to bring it back as coke classic

have to be careful of taking something away from people, like taking a toy from a child who doesn't play with it anymore, the child will in most cases react very negatively to this even though they have no interest in that toy any longer

 

[uncleg]

Sure send a message to every hobo on Canada that Vancouver is the place to be. Don't bother getting a job and getting off crack, we'll just give you a free home to park your ass.

Too late...that message has already been sent.

 

[sybian]

Too late...that message has already been sent.

Yup....and it may be our undoing in this province.
I was talking to a " man" who had been on welfare for about a decade.....healthy, fit, and very entitled, and doing plenty of drugs in his spare time, which he had lots of.
He informed me that he wouldn't work for anything less than $25 an hour.....
When I informed him that in the real world you get a job, and work your way up the pay scale, so he was already 10 years behind.
He said " so what's the point?....ill just stay on welfare then"
The point I made to him ,was a pride in contributing, and finding yourself a better life.....and his response was " yeah but they'll just take it all away in taxes"
I said " yes.....to support morons like you"