When Surrey City Council recently rejected a proposed supportive housing project, it followed a rally of over a thousand people, primarily homeowners and business owners, who voiced their concerns with clarity and conviction. Some quickly celebrated the decision as a victory. One Richmond resident even posted, “Congratulations to the residents of Surrey for a well-deserved victory!”

But this moment raises a deeper question, one I publicly asked last year in the Richmond News after the cancellation of the Cambie and Sexsmith supportive housing project: A victory for whom?

At these public debates and rallies, the loudest voices often come from those with homes, businesses, and platforms. They have access to microphones, media, and influence. Meanwhile, the most vulnerable, those living in shelters, in cars, or in fear, are largely absent. Not because they don’t care, but because stigma silences them. Poverty isolates. Trauma makes public protest nearly impossible. Pain doesn’t always march.

If our civic processes only amplify those with power, we risk creating cities that mirror privilege rather than compassion. We mistake loudness for wisdom and visibility for value. I understand the fear of change. I’ve sat with it. I’ve listened to residents who worry about safety, disruption, and uncertainty. Listening matters. But listening is not the same as agreeing, and leadership is not the same as appeasement.

Some municipal leaders have claimed that addressing complex care, safety, and economic stability lies beyond their mandate. But this only underscores the need for a comprehensive, multi-level response, one that involves municipal, provincial, and federal governments working together. We need a new kind of social contract, one that, while never pleasing everyone, consciously considers the benefit, the need, and the voice of all major stakeholders.

Such a contract must balance the fundamental needs of the vulnerable with the legitimate concerns of residents and businesses. It requires a five-pronged approach:

1. Meet the Need:
Senior governments must fund safe, stable housing and the support services people need, like mental health care and addiction recovery.

2. Show the Benefit:
All levels should clearly explain how these projects help everyone, reducing emergency costs, improving public safety, and strengthening communities.

3. Elevate All Voices:
Municipalities must make space for those who are often unheard, people with lived experience of homelessness and trauma, so their insights shape local solutions.

4. Ensure Safety:
Safety must be built into every plan, with trained staff on-site, neighborhood support, and collaboration with police and community partners.

5. Support Local Business:
Projects should be designed to strengthen the local economy, address concerns about property values, and connect residents to job training and employment.

Imagine a different kind of victory, one where a woman fleeing violence finds an open door, where a man in recovery is met with dignity, not dismissal, where a city council listens not just to the loudest voices, but to the quiet ones, where all levels of government unite to safeguard both community well-being and economic stability.

That kind of victory may not make headlines. But it will change lives. And it will prove that the community is truly for everyone.