The short answer
Homelessness is not one problem with one answer. Vision 2030 would bring housing, health, income, mental-health, addiction and employment supports around each person through one point of contact and an Individual Stability Plan — beginning with immediate safety and working toward lasting housing and stability.
Three things to know
- A person experiencing homelessness may need several services, but should not have to navigate every agency alone.
- Emergency shelter is a necessary first step; lasting stability requires housing and the right health, income and community supports.
- Burnaby already has a Housing and Homelessness Strategy and has convened provincial, health, housing, police and community partners. The next test is coordinated delivery and measurable outcomes.
Why this matters to me
As a teacher and school principal, I saw that a struggling student could not be helped by a one-size-fits-all response. We built an individual plan, identified the barriers, respected privacy and coordinated the right people around the student.
I would bring that same principle to homelessness. I have seen seniors sleeping in their cars in Central Park through no fault of their own. That should never become an accepted part of life in Burnaby.
The honest comparison
What residents are asking
- Who takes responsibility when a person is passed between housing, health and income services?
- What happens when emergency shelter beds are full?
- Are we measuring whether people move into stable housing and remain there?
My approach
- Start with immediate safety and one dedicated point of contact who can connect each person to appropriate services with dignity and respect for privacy.
- Create an Individual Stability Plan based on the person's housing, health, mental-health, addiction, income and employment needs.
- Bring the province, health agencies, housing providers, Indigenous organisations, non-profits and responsible private partners to one table, with permanent housing as the goal.
What you can hold me to
- 01Map Burnaby's available shelter, outreach, health, housing and community resources so gaps and responsibilities are visible.
- 02Develop an overflow plan with qualified temporary accommodation providers for times when appropriate shelter capacity is full.
- 03Report outcomes while protecting privacy: people connected to shelter, people moved into permanent housing and people who remain housed.
Elect Bill Petrovas
For Mayor of Burnaby
“No One Left Outside. Start with safety, build an Individual Stability Plan, and give every person one clear path toward a secure home.”
#Burnaby #NoOneLeftOutside #Housing #Dignity
Vote Oct. 17, 2026 · Your vote is your voice
Questions people ask
- What is an Individual Stability Plan?
- A coordinated plan built around one person's needs, with one point of contact and clear next steps across housing, health, income, mental-health, addiction and employment services.
- Can Burnaby solve homelessness by itself?
- No. Health care, income assistance and much of housing funding sit with other governments and agencies. The city can still convene partners, coordinate local resources, help identify land and remove approval delays.
- Is emergency shelter the final goal?
- No. Shelter provides immediate safety. The finish line is stable housing with the supports a person needs to remain housed.
Public sources
These official sources provide context for the responsibilities and existing plans discussed in this brief.
Read next
Housing people can afford
How can Burnaby make housing affordable for families and seniors by 2030?
Read the briefSafety is a team sport
What is Bill Petrovas' 10-step plan for a safer Burnaby by 2030?
Read the briefA City Hall that answers
How can Burnaby City Hall become more efficient and easier to deal with?
Read the briefAnnouncements are not accomplishments. Debt free is not waste free. Vote Saturday, October 17, 2026 — your vote is your voice.
Burnaby's next chapter needs you in it
Knock doors, host a coffee meeting, put up a sign, or simply pass this page to a neighbour. Every conversation counts before Saturday, October 17, 2026.