Ever considered the injustice of Vancouver's homelessness problem juxtaposed against its empty home syndrome? Building up quite a buzz in the social media universe today is a crowd-funded project on Tumblr, accompanied by numerous reader-submitted photographs of large, often lovely, unoccupied homes around Vancouver.
The anonymously authored Beautiful But Empty Homes blog aims to "encourage citizens and politicians to possess empty homes and to educate the public on rules in other countries that oblige landowners to ensure properties remain fully occupied."
It adds: "Go ahead, municipal officials: ignore public opinion and let an investor knock down a heritage home to build a palace. Just don’t allow the original home to be left empty and rotting for months or years when many people are desperate for a place to live."
The blog condones squatting as a possible solution in an attempt to push the City into action - and provide homes for the needy in the meantime. "One option would be that a wave of squatting/adverse possession of homes across Vancouver drives the City to pass rules obliging landowners to keep people living in homes up to the date of demolition - providing much needed housing, reducing vermin and fire risks across the city. It is also good for the economy as new business arise to find occupants for all condemned investment properties, as has occurred in Europe."
