Homelessness in North Van: Move along, RV dwellers
RVs parked along 1st Street Photo: Duncan Wilcock
District of North Vancouver Council has recently discussed how to handle the growing number of recreational vehicles parking long-term on public streets. Council separated the issue into two categories:
people storing their RVs on public streets
people living in motorhomes and other vehicles on public streets
For the first group, council members agreed owners should move their vehicles to a suitable off-street storage facility. The council decided that addressing this issue would be effective through parking time limits and enforcement, including tickets and towing. While this is an inconvenience, most people in this category should be able to find and afford suitable storage or sell their spare vehicles.
Council also recognized a second category: people living in campers, motorhomes and other vehicles. They spent the majority of their discussion on this group.
The need for transitional housing
In a sense, this discussion represented a new iteration of an ongoing conversation about the nature of homelessness and potential solutions on the North Shore. For this council, the issue first surfaced in May 2024, when Councillor Pope proposed a motion for staff to identify suitable land and funding partners to rapidly create transitional housing for individuals without homes and those at risk of homelessness. At the time, there was a sense of urgency because people living temporarily in a former Travelodge (slated for redevelopment) on Marine Drive would be losing that location in January. The district had recently approved the East Keith Road supportive housing project, which will accommodate 65 people on completion. Although the project was approved in early 2024, it remains on the drawing board today; therefore, it was not, and is not, a quick fix.
In the end, all councillors supported Councillor Pope’s motion, most expressing the sentiment that speed was essential and would require innovation and creativity.
Vans and RVs parked along Lloyd Avenue Photo: Duncan Wilcock
Staff report returns with no options
In September 2024, staff returned to council with a report that essentially stated there was no land, no funding partners, and no budget from other levels of government that would make transitional housing possible in the short term.
Council generally exhibited frustration that other levels of government would not pick up the ball. Councillor Pope suggested that without a signal (in the form of land) from the district indicating that transitional housing was desired, it would not move forward with provincial or federal support. She moved that a closed Special Meeting of Council be held as soon as possible to discuss previously identified district lands for transitional housing options. This motion was again unanimously passed.
But momentum must have stalled in the closed meeting. Presumably, there were no good land options for council to proceed with.
Vehicles parked on Lloyd Avenue Photo: Duncan Wilcock
Transitional housing for people living in their RVs
In early June 2025, staff presented a report to council regarding the management of large and recreational vehicle parking. The report focused on locations where public complaints about long-term parking were highest, on Lloyd Avenue, West 3rd Street and 1st Street. At the meeting council discussed the implications of increased parking restrictions for people living in their vehicles, acknowledging the increase in demand for long-term parking as a proxy for an increase in homelessness.
Councillors also raised public safety concerns based on what they described as “mounting complaints about safety, sanitation and public disorder” from nearby property owners and people using the public tennis center. The chief public complaints seemed to be coming from people accessing the public tennis centre on Lloyd Avenue.
There is nowhere else for them to go
Councillor Hanson proposed that the district find a sanctioned site where people could park to access water and washrooms. “It's not fair to tell people who cannot afford better housing that they cannot park in our district when there is nowhere else for them to go.” He suggested the district should establish an appropriate lot and “send the bill to the provincial government, because it's their responsibility…and it's their lapse that is creating this problem.” Councillor Back emphasized the need for coordination with the City of North Vancouver, which restricted parking on Mackay along Capilano Mall, causing some RVs to move to over to Lloyd. Mayor Little and Councillor Mah again expressed the need for the province to step up to provide resources.
Council directed staff to implement new parking restrictions in the bylaw as well as improve enforcement and public awareness. Councillor Muri requested an amendment for staff to identify abandoned vehicles and remove them immediately, allowing people living in their RVs to move away from the tennis centre. This amendment passed. According to staff at a subsequent meeting, close to twenty abandoned vehicles were towed.
RV’s across from the tennis centre on Lloyd Avenue Photo: Duncan Wilcock
I went down to Loyd Street to check out the dynamic mid-August. Some people arriving to play tennis were obviously uncomfortable sharing space with those presumably living in their RVs in the same area. Laughter and conversation were going on among a gathering of five people at one RV directly across the street. A large breed, on-leash dog barked at me and a boombox blasting music dominated the scene. I did not feel personally uncomfortable or threatened, but I could see how some people might.
Final efforts to identify district land to create a practical solution
At the July 21st council meeting, during which the new parking restrictions would be voted on as part of the revised parking bylaw, Councillor Hanson reiterated that a regulated site for people to park and access sanitation services was necessary, lamenting the fact that the district lacks the resources which the province and federal government have.
Councillor Pope proposed an amendment directing staff to collaborate with federal and provincial agencies to secure funding for transitional housing…and identify DNV lands that have not been previously considered for accommodating displaced RV dwellers. This represented a third attempt to identify district land for transitional housing. Councillors Back and Hanson supported Pope's amendment.
Councillor Muri spoke against the amendment, “If there was a plan by the senior levels of government, wouldn’t they be doing something? Why do we keep doing this? This is a redundant motion that we keep moving forward to make ourselves feel whole. If we ask enough times, it will happen, but it’s not going to.” She did not address the portion of the amendment regarding district lands.
Councillor Pope defended her amendment: “Are we just going to give up then?...the previous provincial housing minister Ravi Kahlon said, 'You bring us the land, we will bring the funding.' But if we don't bring the land, it's not going to happen because it doesn't show that this is what council actually wants. We can do better.”
The Mayor and Councillors Forbes and Mah respected the intent of the amendment but voted against it. The amendment was not approved. The bylaw with new parking restrictions on Lloyd, 3rd and 1st was approved and regulations will be implemented, moving RV dwellers along.
Examining our community response to homelessness
We can all empathize with individuals on council. They’re trying to address a challenging problem with limited support from provincial and federal levels of government. In a microcosm, they represent all of us. Conceptually, we want to help people, but in reality, we just moved people along. That’s a hard fact to face. Perhaps we should consider how to better handle this in the future?
This article was inspired by the writings of Sabino Marquez.
Sources
Council Meeting Video - May 27, 2024
Council Meeting Video - September 23, 2024
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