Some tenants and housing advocates are welcoming news of renovated single-room occupancy suites as part a plan to address the Downtown Eastside’s housing crisis, but are calling for a more more sustainable approach long-term.
According to the Ministry of Housing, 241 newly-renovated SRO units are set to become available by the end of June. The units will be funded by BC Housing and operated by non-profit partners.
“These places may be 100 years old, but they still house people, they house a whole community,” said Richard Schwab, a longtime resident of DTES SROs, in a statement to Global News.
“You can’t not invest in it, we aren’t able to make enough housing in the time it is needed for people on income assistance.”
Read more:
330 supportive housing units for Downtown Eastside to be ready for June, province says
Single-room occupancy hotels are notorious in Vancouver,