Vancouver Olympic Homeless Displacements Spark Innovation

by Shannon Moriarty · 2009-12-16 21:06:00 UTC
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In just a few short weeks, the Olympics will descend upon Vancouver, British Columbia. The city has come under a lot of scrutiny for its struggles to address both its homelessness problem and its shortage of housing in preparation for the games. But amid all of the negative news about Vancouver's handling of the homeless, a refreshing story has emerged that combines charity and innovation.

With the Winter Games fast approaching, Charles Montgomery, a Vancouver-based author, recognized two critical problems: a shortage of housing for Olympic visitors and growing numbers of homeless individuals being displaced from the city's streets. He decided to tackle both issues at once with a unique concept called Home for the Games.

According to the NY Times, it's a surprisingly simple idea. Vancouver-area residents who want to rent out rooms or their entire homes during the Games list their property on the organization's website. It's completely free of charge, provided they ask "affordable" rates.

Housing? Check.

And as for charity? Half of the rental income will benefit organizations serving the homeless, and the renter receives a charitable tax deduction, to boot. It's a nice, built-in incentive for Vancouver residents to capitalize on their assets (a home) to help those in their community who need it most (the homeless). Home for the Games hopes to raise $750K for homeless charities through their efforts.

With so many stories of displacement, lost affordable housing, and forced homeless arrests coming out of Vancouver in recent weeks, it is great to find a positive story combining the homeless and the Olympics. It is seriously long overdue. And what a cool concept: the massive influx of people from around the world will provide Vancouver residents a unique opportunity to step up to the plate and help their community's most vulnerable residents.

In the meantime, I'm loving this concept of spinning negative situations into opportunities for fresh ideas. Let's hope the creative energy catches on.

Image: wallpaper

Shannon Moriarty has worked in various homeless shelters and service organizations around the country. She is a graduate student studying housing and urban policy at Tufts University.
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