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Coun. Michael van Holst, at a city council meeting Tuesday, painted a picture of London lavishing $2.3 million in additional spending on a new, highly designed Victoria Bridge, only to see homeless people living beneath it.

But that image was not enough to sway council, which defeated a motion to refer the bridge reconstruction back to staff with an eye to save money.

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The $14.1 million replacement of the bridge was approved, a day after the citys’s strategic priorities and policy committee heard about growing demand for affordable housing in London and how the city may have to pay more.

“It behooves us to look at,” less expensive options “in light of yesterday’s conversation on how important housing is. There is money we can put toward that, if we can find it,” said van Holst, who made the motion to refer the matter to staff for cost saving.

“How ironic we build a bridge and find people living underneath it because we don’t have housing options.”