Just say if i were in charge of short-term shelter

Affordable housing is currently a major issue in Vancouver. (CBC) And while what I suggest below is certainly nothing more than a band-aid to a wider major social issue, its implementation might buy time to find a more reasonable long-term strategy.

My left-field short-term solution is to allow those in need of shelter gated access into currently unoccupied city lots (those fenced-off former gas station lots come to mind), and build a planned tent-city, with "streets" and "house numbers."

We could get the outdoor supply companies, such as Mountain Equipment Co-op, to donate a variety of multi-person tents.

We could bring in festival-style portable sanitation facilities, for water and sewage, even showers, perhaps. And how about a central cooking area, with fire-pit grills, like at the beach or in parks?

Each "gated community" could be "managed" by a social-service organization, keeping track of who is utilizing the service, what their needs are, and offering advice and guidance into the civic social system.

There are, obviously, problems to be addressed and solved. Tents offer little protection from the elements, so cold and wet weather could be a problem. It would not be good for these areas to become mud-pits after a rainfall. The suggestion of utilizing former gas station lots brings to mind problems of soil toxicity. Monitoring access requires the participation of service organizations, as well as the coordination with the civic services. City services, such as garbage pick-up, would need to be considered. And my preference would be to limit this option to single individuals and couples. Hopefully this tactic would reduce the demand for other housing provisions, and increase their availability to families that include children.