In B.C., promise of temporary modular housing was short-lived solution to homelessness crisis

Eight years ago, policy makers with the new NDP government in B.C. and the City of Vancouver were enthusiastic about temporary modular housing: a new, fast and relatively inexpensive way to provide shelter for the growing numbers of homeless people.The idea was to put projects up quickly on land awaiting development, then, when construction moved ahead, to move the units to other vacant land. The province committed $66-million for 600 units in Vancouver in 2017, which became part of $291-million for the whole province. By 2021, 1,900 temporary apartments were sent to 22 communities.