UBC can be proud of its many accomplishments. But as one of the Canada’s foremost communities, it should also be a champion for change. We should be leading the charge in providing affordable housing for our staff and students—and for our most vulnerable citizens.

The UBC Mission & Vision state that we will “promote the values of a civil and sustainable society,” and acknowledge our obligations as citizens to “secure a sustainable and equitable future for all.” These commitments could be strengthened when it comes to engaging the poorest and most downtrodden people in our communities.

In 2008, I wrote an article on the price of housing at UBC (there were 74 properties for sale on land that the University acquired for free). UBC had roughly 12,000 employees and some 43,000 students. None of UBC’s employees had a sufficient household income to purchase the average listed house ($3.9M). Only two per cent could qualify to buy the average townhouse ($1.2M), and only 11 per cent could buy the average apartment ($724K). UBC had 5000 people in six unions and none of them could afford to buy any of the 74 properties.

Given the obvious need and apparent resources, where is the housing for single parents, immigrants, working poor, the homeless and low-income students in communities like the Wesbrook Place? Where is the workforce housing for our employees? UBC’s Vision speaks of equity, not of exclusivity. However, today’s web data shows that one needs a household income of $88,000 to buy the least expensive apartment at UBC.

The university recently played a positive and significant role in the Vancouver Peace Summit. The Dalai Lama challenged us to ask hard questions and to bring forward compassionate, creative solutions. My question is this: since the university has already profited once from the endowment of its land, which was given with the intent to benefit all, why must we flip these lands at costs so high they exclude most of society?

If we truly wish to “secure a sustainable and equitable future for all,” then the price of rental and market housing on campus could be tied to the incomes of employees and faculty. If CUPE (116) has 1700 employees (10 per cent of UBC’s workforce) with a maximum income of roughly $70,000, then 10 per cent of available housing would be affordable to them. Our community could include non-market social housing for the working poor, persons with disabilities, and low-income First Nations.

These strategies would place UBC in the vanguard of regional and national leadership in “promoting the values of a civil and sustainable society.” The world is coming to Vancouver (and UBC) in 2010. If we continue with the present campus plan, there is a danger that the world will see a UBC community that is unaffordable and inaccessible to large numbers of its citizens.

In a 2008 speech, Dr Toope wrote we must explore every practical way of helping the poor to realize their undoubted right: to escape poverty. Do our students, staff, faculty and the poorest in Vancouver have a right to affordable housing on campus?

Dr Jim Frankish is a professor at the College for Interdisciplinary Studies, and the School of Population & Public Health. He’s also the director of the Centre for Population Health Promotion Research.

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