Prison is the most expensive form of housing there is, and it takes people out of their communities.

Rebecca will build housing to keep people connected, create jobs and give people the stability to rebuild their lives.

When fewer people sleep outside, streets and walkways are cleaner and more accessible for everyone.

Rebecca will ensure that our sidewalks remain clear, clean, and accessible by building housing for everyone.

Tickets and seized drugs don’t help people recover, and neither does unrestricted access to harmful substances. People need full, proper support to recover and stay safe. That means fewer overdoses, cleaner streets and less drug trafficking.

Rebecca will help build and fund recovery programs to better support those suffering from substance use disorders.

People in Vancouver wait months for recovery services.

Rebecca will build Recovery Community Centres to offer local, immediate help such as peer support and wellness activities, from the day someone decides to start recovery. System navigation is often a barrier to getting treatment; a Recovery Community Centre provides that help.

St. Paul’s Road to Recovery offers personalized recovery plans supervised by medical professionals.

Rebecca will support programs such as this to ensure that people get the support they need.

We will pair recovery programs with affordable supportive housing.

Rebecca opposes current plans for involuntary care beds, which would damage community trust and leave people unsupported once they are discharged. Instead, she will ensure that those who choose recovery have a place to continue their treatment after discharge.

Expand mental health and addiction support in partnership with the Province.

Rebecca will advocate for more mental health services for young people, more counsellors in schools, more psychiatric beds and treatment capacity, and more recovery programs.

Police aren’t trained to help people in crisis, and that puts everyone at risk.

Rebecca will improve coordination between police, healthcare providers, housing providers and community organizations, so police are no longer the only response available when someone is in a mental health or addiction crisis. She will also develop a Community Safety and Wellbeing Strategy together with police, healthcare providers, non-profits, Indigenous organizations, businesses and community groups.

Community Policing Centres should act as neighbourhood hubs for crime prevention, community referrals, youth mentorship, neighbourhood engagement and connecting residents with local services.

Rebecca will support these Centres to ensure they properly offer the services that communities need to prevent crime and ensure public safety.

A Restorative Justice Program offers an accessible pathway to accountability, healing, safety and justice for a broad range of conflict, harm and crime.

Rebecca will create an interdisciplinary working group to lead the work, backed by stable core funding.

Rebecca will expand existing policies and working groups, building on her council motion to advance a gender-based violence prevention strategy.

When people can’t afford the basics, more end up on the street and the Downtown Eastside experiences the majority of these impacts.

Rebecca will create incentives for new businesses that open in the Downtown Eastside and deliver a meaningful benefit to the community.

She will put City-owned storefronts to work. Under a head-lease model, the City’s commercial retail units in the Downtown Eastside would be leased to a social enterprise operator, who would choose and support tenants. City Hall would no longer manage these units directly.

Rebecca will launch a Business-to-Storefront program that uses suitable City-owned commercial spaces to help local entrepreneurs and community-serving businesses get started.

She will also partner with Community Land Trusts and local organizations to create community-owned housing and retail space that benefits residents.

Rebecca will invest in more public washrooms to protect public health and give everyone access to a basic need.