I am on the same boat as these people that can't afford a home with these property prices. But, I don't blame other people for having more than me. The concept of private property is that anyone can do whatever they want with their property.
About the only thing the government can't force you to do (in the United States) is quarter soldiers during peacetime.
Like the sibling comment said, you live in a society so we all have to play nice with each other.
[1] most cities forbid a large number of unrelated people from living together.
I would not oppose having a quantitative measure of how empty homes ultimately harm Vancouver's economy in the long term. I think that would be a much more constructive argument to implement measures to curb this trend.
We've kind of decided on using a democratic process, which indeed is a form of mob rule.
As for the danger of this approach....so multi-millionaires have one less global city they can buy property in completely hassle free....I think they'll find a way to survive.
"Ochlocracy ("rule of the general populace") is democracy ("rule of the people") spoiled by demagoguery, "tyranny of the majority", and the rule of passion over reason, just as oligarchy ("rule of a few") is aristocracy ("rule of the best") spoiled by corruption, and tyranny is monarchy spoiled by lack of virtue. Ochlocracy is synonymous in meaning and usage to the modern, informal term "mobocracy", which arose in the 18th century as a colloquial neologism."
For instance, I don't have the right to set up a nightclub without permission from the city, and (if I'm not being an asshole) neighbours and other nearby residents/businesses that would be affected.
These limits come into existence because there was a problem that residents of the city felt needed action on. Leaving large numbers of properties empty is the extreme opposite end of everyone running nightclubs.