Vancouver's World Cup Plan Fails to Protect Homeless Residents, Coalition Warns
With just four months remaining until hundreds of thousands of visitors descend upon Vancouver for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, community members and legal advocates from Chinatown and the Downtown Eastside are raising urgent concerns. They assert that the city's draft Human Rights Action Plan falls critically short in safeguarding the rights and well-being of homeless and precariously housed residents during the international sporting event.
Immediate Action Needed, Not Just Existing Services
Jerome Igbokwe, a lawyer with the B.C. Civil Liberties Association, expressed deep disappointment with the city's approach. "There are immediate things the city can do to help, and it's not doing them," Igbokwe stated. "We expected a coherent plan demonstrating how Vancouver would actively reduce potential harms stemming from the World Cup. Instead, we received essentially a list of services the city already provides, which is insufficient to address the unique pressures of this global event."
Igbokwe is part of a coalition comprising approximately 20 downtown organizations. This group is sounding the alarm that Vancouver has not adequately assessed or planned for the human rights impacts associated with the potential displacement of unhoused people. This concern is particularly acute as the city prepares to host seven World Cup matches at B.C. Place Stadium between June 11 and July 19, 2026.
The "Beautification" Zone and Historical Precedents
A significant point of contention is the two-kilometre "beautification" zone mandated by FIFA's host city agreement around the stadium. Many of Vancouver's most vulnerable residents currently live or seek shelter within this area. Igbokwe highlighted a troubling pattern, noting, "Beautification for the FIFA World Cup has historically meant the displacement of persons who do not fit with the image of the tournament." This raises fears that similar measures could be implemented in Vancouver, pushing homeless individuals further into the margins.
Scrutiny of the Draft Human Rights Action Plan
The city's 57-page draft plan, released last week by the FIFA Host City Committee, is intended to align with FIFA's strengthened human rights standards. These standards were enhanced following global criticism over alleged labour abuses and other rights violations during the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. The framework explicitly requires host cities to identify potential risks to marginalized groups—including unhoused residents, workers, and people with disabilities—and to outline concrete steps to prevent or mitigate those risks.
Specifically, FIFA mandates that each city's action plan must detail steps to "prevent and mitigate the displacement of unsheltered populations" in connection with hosting the tournament.
However, advocates argue Vancouver's draft plan relies heavily on existing city policies and provincial and federal legislation, rather than introducing new, targeted protections or measures specifically for the World Cup period. The plan states it applies to official venues and surrounding areas, including:
- The FIFA Fan Festival at Hastings Park
- Training sites at Killarney Park and the National Soccer Development Centre
- B.C. Place stadium and its security perimeter
- Vancouver International Airport
City's Response and Ongoing Concerns
Regarding the Downtown Eastside, the city's draft plan indicates it "undertook and continues to facilitate focused conversations with key service organizations within these neighbourhoods to speak to these concerns, and will ensure there is communication with the community and public that addresses the potential impacts."
The plan notes that people will still be permitted to set up temporary overnight shelters in parks, although daytime sheltering will remain prohibited. It further states that daily management of public spaces by bylaw enforcement will "ensure that parks remain usable by the whole community during the daytime and sidewalks remain safe, clean and accessible."
Coalition members remain unconvinced, warning that without robust, proactive measures, the city's most vulnerable residents are left dangerously exposed. They emphasize that the clock is ticking, with the World Cup's arrival imminent, and call for a revised plan that prioritizes concrete actions to protect human rights over the maintenance of a curated international image.
