City of Vancouver cuts sex worker safety planner position

This photo shows WISH Drop-in Centre's Mobile Access Project (MAP) Van which serves street-based sex workers in Vancouver. WISH is among the organizations sounding the alarm about the elimination of a city position dedicated to sex worker safety

The City of Vancouver has eliminated one of two sex worker safety planner positions as it continues to work through “organizational and operational changes.”

Those changes stem from Mayor Ken Sim and his ABC-council’s direction to pursue a freeze on property taxes.

That decision has resulted in staff tasked with finding around $120 million in savings.

In a statement to CTV News, the City of Vancouver said there have been changes across city departments, including in social policy.

“As part of this work, some functions are changing or being realigned while ensuring service priorities continue to advance,” the statement continued.

“Work related to sex worker safety is delivered as part of a broader planning focus on community and gender safety, including women’s equity, 2STGD+ safety and inclusion, and MMIWG responses.”

A city spokesperson said this work includes $1.1milllion in approved granting and funding towards sex worker and gender safety organizations for 2026.

‘Created to prevent violence’

Community organizations say they’re alarmed by the move.

In a joint statement, WISH Drop-in Centre Society, PACE Society, SWAN Vancouver, Living in Community Society, and RainCity Housing said they’re deeply disappointed to hear the city has eliminated one of the positions.

“These roles were created to prevent violence, reduce vulnerability and strengthen communication and relationships between sex workers, police, community organizations and the city,” the statement said.

The groups added, the roles were created out of a direct recommendation in the 2012 report ‘Forsaken: The Report of the Missing Women Commission of Inquiry.’

‘Broken that commitment’

According to the community organizations, the sex worker safety planners have worked closely with their groups for years.

“With the elimination of one of these positions, the city loses vital expertise and capacity that has demonstrably improved safety and trust between sex workers and public institutions,” they said.

They added the decision comes two months before the FIFA World Cup, which they add has, “additional risks of sex workers being displaced from street-based work, and/or disconnected to services due to a heightened police presence and surveillance across the city.”

Kara Gillies, the executive director, of WISH Drop-In Centre Society, called the decision a profound and surprising betrayal of sex workers, especially Indigenous street-based sex workers in the Downtown Eastside.

“These positions grew from the catastrophic failure of authorities to listen and respond to women made vulnerable by oppressive policies and practices,” Gillies said.

“The city committed to do better; it has now broken that commitment and done so without consultation or notice. In a sentence, it has chosen to save money over lives.”

The groups are calling on the city to reinstate the position.

Green Party councillor and mayoral candidate Pete Fry said, he’s reached out to staff about this.

“On the eve of the World Cup and tens of thousands of tourists, and amidst the existential challenges for long standing advocacy groups that have lost their funding, I am very worried that vulnerable folks in the sex trade and at risk of gendered violence may be lacking appropriate resources and supports at a time they may need it most,” he said.