Affordable Housing as 'Olympic Legacy'

Vancouver Olympic officials have announced that temporary Olympic housing units will be reused as permanent affordable housing after the Games.

1 minute read

October 22, 2008, 2:00 PM PDT

By Judy Chang


"'This will be a long-term legacy,' [Premier Gordon] Campbell told workers assembled at the VANOC headquarters in Vancouver. 'There will be an Olympic legacy for all of B.C.' The units are expected to be available for use in late 2010, with the various communities taking care of water, plumbing, sewer and foundation work before the Games begin, so the post-Olympic requirements are minimal.

The move by Campbell is also aimed to please members of B.C.'s hinterland, who have argued that while all British Columbians will pay for the 2010 Olympics, Vancouver and Whistler are getting the lion's share of its windfall."

"VANOC CEO John Furlong said the $43.6-million cost of the housing project will be shared by VANOC, corporate sponsors RONA and Britco, a large private donation that will be made public at a later date, the province of B.C., and land donated by the participating communities, which were chosen when they demonstrated a need for such facilities."

Wednesday, October 22, 2008 in The Province

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

April 30, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Close-up on Canadian flag with Canada Parliament building blurred in background.

Canada vs. Kamala: Whose Liberal Housing Platform Comes Out on Top?

As Canada votes for a new Prime Minister, what can America learn from the leading liberal candidate of its neighbor to the north?

April 28, 2025 - Benjamin Schneider

Hot air balloons rise over Downtown Boise with the State Capitol building visible amidst the high rises.

The Five Most-Changed American Cities

A ranking of population change, home values, and jobs highlights the nation’s most dynamic and most stagnant regions.

April 23, 2025 - GoodMigrations

People biking along beach path with moored ship in San Diego, California.

San Diego Adopts First Mobility Master Plan

The plan provides a comprehensive framework for making San Diego’s transportation network more multimodal, accessible, and sustainable.

May 2 - SD News

Sleeping in Public

Housing, Supportive Service Providers Brace for Federal Cuts

Organizations that provide housing assistance are tightening their purse strings and making plans for maintaining operations if federal funding dries up.

May 2 - KSL

Conductor walks down platform next to Amtrak train at station in San Jose, California.

Op-Ed: Why an Effective Passenger Rail Network Needs Government Involvement

An outdated rail network that privileges freight won’t be fixed by privatizing Amtrak.

May 2 - Streetsblog USA

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.

Senior Manager Operations, Urban Planning

New York City School Construction Authority

Building Inspector

Village of Glen Ellyn

Manager of Model Development

Central Transportation Planning Staff/Boston Region MPO