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Gary Law Questions Supportive Housing Results
July 20, 2026 | Richmond, BC
Public Issue
Aster Place: Three More Years — Where Are the Public Results?
On July 20, 2026, the City of Richmond held a public hearing on whether to renew the Aster Place supportive housing agreement for another three years. Richmond City Council candidate and former RCMP officer Gary Law attended and raised a central question:
“This project has operated for so long without publicly releasing any meaningful performance data. On what basis should it receive a three-year renewal?”
Many Richmond residents attended to share their concerns. Their message was consistent: Aster Place continues to affect neighbourhood safety and has reduced the quality of life for nearby residents.
With decades of policing and military experience, Gary Law said municipal decisions should be based on reason, data and risk assessment — not intuition or subjective judgment. Yet the City has not publicly released operating results, safety data or improvement reports for a project with long-term effects on the community.
Five Key Questions
Residents deserve clear, transparent answers.
At the public hearing, Gary Law asked City Council to answer the five questions residents care about most:
- How many police calls and public-safety incidents does Aster Place generate each year?
- Have local fire and ambulance callouts increased significantly because of this project?
- Over time, has neighbourhood safety improved or worsened?
- What concrete impacts are nearby residents and small businesses experiencing?
- What standards does the City use to conclude that the project is successful and deserves renewal?
Gary Law stressed that supporting vulnerable people and protecting community safety are not opposing choices.
Public resources are funded by taxpayers and must be transparent and evidence-based. If a project is working, release the data so residents can see it. If there are problems, address and improve them before considering renewal. A long-term agreement should not be renewed unconditionally when data is absent, results are unclear and residents have widespread concerns.
Public Hearing Result
Residents' concerns remain unanswered.
Despite substantial opposition at the hearing and concerns about the lack of transparency, Richmond City Council proceeded with a three-year renewal, disregarding residents' concerns, objections and quality-of-life interests.
All Richmond residents are welcome to discuss these issues thoughtfully and help care for our community's safety and living environment.
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