Our Mayor took part in the annual homeless count recently. The City had hoped to eliminate homelessness by 2015. Instead, they found 536 people sleeping on the street this year, up from 154 in 2011. I came across this tiny Vancouver special as I walked the Chinatown neighbourhood over lunch one day. The art installation by Ken Lum is a commentary on poverty and homelessness and the gentrification that has gripped the neighbourhood. The tiny house is a replica of the omnipresent, lackluster but spacious 1970s “Vancouver Special” that could be had for around $45,000. As small as this tiny house is, it is still eight times larger than what you could buy for 45 grand today. There is a tiny cut out in the front of the house platform that shows what that money would currently buy. Architects and developers are eyeing narrow lots in the neighbourhood, convinced that teeny condos are the answer. I’m all for using small lots efficiently, as long as they are dedicated to social housing. This tiny house is on Union Street just off Main. You can watch a video here.