VANCOUVER — The chief executive officer of B.C. Housing has retired abruptly, saying he can no longer fix the myriad problems facing the organization and is concerned for his own safety.
In a lengthy personal statement posted on the B.C. Housing website, Shayne Ramsay said “something shifted” in his life when he saw a murder on the beach near Vancouver’s CRAB Park back in May, then watched in horror as two people dealing with homelessness were killed this past week.
Ramsay said he had taken his dog for a walk on a regular Saturday morning on May 7 when he saw police converge on CRAB Park, one of several tent cities that have been cropping up around Metro Vancouver.
“On the beach, a man lay fatally stabbed,” Ramsay said. “My neighbour, who lingered a bit longer than Fred [his dog] and me, was bowled over by the two young men accused of [the] murder as they ran across the park to get to him.
“Over the past week, people who were homeless and formerly homeless were murdered, and a woman was intentionally lit on fire just a block from where I live.”
Ramsay said the last straw was being mobbed last week after talking to reporters about a public hearing for proposed social housing in the Kitsilano neighbourhood, near the planned Arbutus subway stop.
“I was swarmed by opponents and threatened with physical violence,” he said. “I had to be escorted to a private elevator, for my safety.”
He said the city has told him it amounted to assault. “This time it was angry words and a fist, next time it could be worse,” he lamented.
He blamed a “small but vocal” group across B.C. who have become “increasingly angry and increasingly volatile” in their opposition to social housing — while the homeless face awful lives on the street due to a lack of adequate shelter.
“While one community faces the almost certain prospect of poverty, poor health, violence and premature death, others are now unwilling to provide a welcoming space, a space that could save lives,” he wrote.
“I no longer have confidence I can solve the complex problems facing us … It is time for someone else to step into the leadership role at B.C. Housing.”
Ramsay, who is 61, has been with B.C. Housing for 26 years. His last day will be Sept. 6.
B.C. Housing works with the private and non-profit sectors, provincial health authorities, all levels of government and community groups to develop a range of housing, including rental assistance, social housing and other programs to address homelessness and the affordability crisis.
