Just because some housing is empty at the moment doesn't mean it always will be - it has happened before in Richmond.  When I last lived there in the 1980's,  the lots on Granville Avenue west of Gibert road were quite deep as were those on the road ( Comstock) behind and developers bought up the spare 'backlands', somehow subdivided them and built about 20 or so new houses. Those places stayed empty for a couple of years with just a security guard watching over them, but they eventually sold to people who lived in them.  It was just the market at the time , not some nefarious plot. 
  This idea that we can't live without the ALR lands is ludicrous; look outside and there is snow everywhere - how much food is it producing now? Our veggies are coming from elsewhere.  The ALR is a smokescreen for people who want to restrict housing builds to keep prices high.