And congratulations, most of that money went to drug dealers and hell’s angels – so you can be proud of having funded a few more gangs and gunshots. The money they use to get food/coffee only allows them to live another day to get more heroine and crack.

This is the exact example of people who live by feelings and ideologies and self-righteousness without looking at the practical and financial gains/losses of each situation.

The real sin of Sodom

Now this was the sin of your sister Sodom: She and her daughters were arrogant, overfed, and unconcerned; they did not help the poor and needy. They were haughty, and did detestable things before me (literally, ‘committed idolatry’). Therefore I did away with them as you have seen.
(Ezekiel 16:49-50, New International version”. (MCC)

Behold, this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom, pride, fulness of bread, and abundance of idleness was in her and in her daughters, neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy. 50 And they were haughty, and committed abomination before me: therefore I took them away as I saw good.

(Ezekiel 16:49-50, King James version

This clearly shows your a sodomite, with your view. You consider what you say and do. Most Asian nations and other nations are mostly poor with the small percentage, you included, come here and ignore all those in your own nation, then come here and rebuke these people, The lowest person on the street is higher in god’s eyes than you. You show little concern for the poor and needy and actually believe they are the problem. Its not them its people like you who walk past people with out giving. I alway give to the street people, or the homeless and volunteer all you do is point fingers.

Offshore buyers being taxed etc. is exactly the kind of protectionism that slows down the growth of an economy. If the competition gets tough you can either keep up with it, or leave for a cheaper and less desirable place. That’s just reality, there’s no right or wrong with it.

And we come here because it’s easier to succeed in North America – more to go around, less stiff competition because many people sit and whine about how the governments, corporations, unions are messing things up for them while I work hard to make something out of myself and be able to afford a 1.5M condo one day.

How is it possible for a home in Vancouver cost a average of $600,000 all result of off shore buyers who should be taxed 75% on any purchased and a rule you must live in the place for 5 years before you can turn it over.

You and people like you are the cause of the homeless problem, the solution just go back home give them thier homes.

I appreciate that you were able to bring up facts and figures, rather than like the rest of the idiots who commented based on their feelings and emotions, and called me a heartless idiot. You’re smarter than the rest of those idiots up there.

Pull the money from drug-addicts and give it to families and working people then. That’ll solve it. Doing a drug is a choice, and blaming poor upbringing and traumatic childhood is an excuse for the weak that are not fit to survive in the long run anyways. Some emotional responses are genetically predisposed, and there’s nothing we can do to fix it. Some are stronger in the face of adversity, some are weaker. Some rise through the worst environment to become successful while many sink from great upbringing to low-life reality… that’s proof of weakness that exists in oneself.

B.C. has the lowest minimum wage in Canada. The “First Job/Entry Level” minimum wage is $6.00/hour. It rises to $8.00/hour only once a person has worked for more than 500 hours. This is unique to British Columbia.
http://www.labour.gov.bc.ca/esb/facshts/firstjob.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_minimum_wages_in_Canada

Vancouver has the world’s least affordable housing:
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/british-columbia/story/2010/01/26/consumer-home-affordability.html

This means that even working full-time 45 hours a week at $6.00/hour, the minimum wage monthly income is less than $700 after taxes. The average rent for the “cheapest” Vancouver one room apartments is $575-$650 (unsubsidised.)

Factor in the low availability and waiting lists for subsidised housing for those who are eligible:
http://www.bchousing.org/applicants/housing_listing

In 2003, more than 9,000 households were on BC Housing’s waiting list for social housing in the Lower Mainland and over 60% of them were families. (Non-profits and co-ops have their own waiting lists.) Families take priority, consider the chances for singles.
http://www.heretohelp.bc.ca/publications/factsheets/housing

Even if you look at these numbers outside of any social environmental influences (such as mental illness, poverty, substance abuse, job availability, lack of family support, etc) the viability of having a thriving population under these long-term conditions in *any* urban centre is low.

The number of homeless people in the lower mainland (as of 2008):
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/british-columbia/story/2008/04/08/bc-homelessness-report.html
http://www.straight.com/article-273777/vancouver/homelessness-doubles-ahead-vancouver-olympics-report-shows

Homelessness in Vancouver is not simply a matter of personal motivation or discouragement-through-punishment. Under the current social and provincial infrastructure conditions, even shooting people as a deterrent would not decrease the levels of homelessness. This is a matter of logic, and I think any reasonable person can appreciate weighing these statistics fairly.

To the other replies: I am ethnically Chinese, born in BC, and I find some of these racist insults to be very sad. What you need to understand is that the population in East Asia is so huge that in the working market, it is brutally competitive to survive. However, the cost of living is also very low- so if you really bust your ass working, there is a way to eat and survive. That is why a lot of East Asian immigrants have a hard time understanding that simply working hard is not enough to stay off the streets. It is a different culture of survival and family support.