A joint draft response (in PDF) released today by the City of Vancouver's Housing Centre recommends that council and other levels of government immediately endorse the recommendations set out in Report of the Inner-City Inclusive Housing Table (in PDF). In March 2007 the Housing Table recommended that the partners involved in the Olympic Games provide affordable housing, protect rental housing and prevent displacement and evictions. Housing activists and some city councillors are concerned whether all levels of government have the time, money or commitment to realize the housing recommendations. Read more in a CBC article, "Olympic housing report triggers alarm." The Carnegie Community Action Project has some more points to consider:

• read Monte Paulson's Tyee series, 2010: More Homeless than Athletes? for updated analysis on exactly how much the Province has done so far for social housing - much less than they claim
• it will cost only $640 million to build 3200 units of housing
• lots of surplus money available - $250 million endowment fund set aside by Province in last budget to create interest for social housing - spend it on a downpayment for 3200 units now
• Province will have $3 B surplus this year according to Canadian Centre Policy Alternatives call on city councilors to form a giant lobby, to be leaders in bringing the senior levels of gov't on board
• The City should not be parroting the Province's excuses
• Re building social housing at the Olympic Village. This is where the city could make a comittment to ensure that low income people actually benefit from this housing. Use the property endowment fund.
• Increase social assistance (p. 14): Here the city is basically endorsing the ICI recommendations. But then it goes on in the Partners report to basically endorse the province's pr about how great they have already been with increases. This is inconsistent. The city should be lobbying more strongly for increases.