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MESSAGE
From Vancouver’s Community Non-Profit Partners
Welcome to our first edition. The idea for this e-newsletter came about when we were talking about our common goal of giving people information about what is happening on the housing front for people in Vancouver who are homeless or at risk of homelessness. We wanted to make sure that the people who are most involved (our tenants, advocacy and community groups) are kept in the loop and that we provide you with information updates on a regular basis.
Vancouver Housing Update focuses on information pertaining to the government-owned single room occupancy hotels and the work of the Homeless Outreach and Emergency Shelter programs in Vancouver.
While the emphasis is on the non-profit partners who manage sites and provide services, we are grateful to BC Housing for its support. Our intention is to rotate this message amongst the various non-profit partners and to issue the newsletter every two or three months, or whenever there is important news to share. We welcome your input!
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| Single Room Occupancy Hotels |
An overview of SROs managed by the Vancouver Community Non-Profit Partners
Over the past year, the provincial government has bought 17 SROs in the Downtown Eastside. This was an important step to preserve this vital stock of housing and non-profit groups have been selected to manage the hotels as well as to offer support services to tenants.
These hotels are all in need of substantial repairs. Some are currently vacant and cannot be lived in until upgrades have been completed. Once upgrades to the hotels are made, all of the rooms will be available for rent by people in greatest need and residents will be able to live in clean, safe rooms with access to support services. Therefore, once renovations are complete, not only will the housing be improved, there will be an increase in the rentable number of rooms.
Read more about the government-owned SROs including information about renovations and the construction process and schedule.
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| HOMELESS OUTREACH PROGRAM |
This program, active in nearly 40 communities in B.C., funds workers with local community and health organizations to help people who have been living on the street to find stable housing. It addresses a client’s immediate physical and safety needs, such as food and warm clothing and connects them with income assistance and social and health services.
The Homeless Outreach Program also provides links to other support services such as life skills training, personal health, financial management, and crisis intervention.
Read about the work of the Homeless Outreach Program in Vancouver, including a profile of a program worker.
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| EMERGENCY SHELTER PROGRAM |
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This program, with an annual operating budget of $57 million, funds homeless shelters and drop-in centres that provide temporary shelter, food and services. It helps people who are homeless break the cycle of homelessness. In 2007, about 300 seasonal, cold wet weather beds were converted to year-round beds; there are now about 1,500 year-rounds beds across B.C. Additional funding announced in October 2007 means that most B.C. shelters are now able to stay open 24/7. Clients can now stay in most shelters during the daytime and access support services.
There are 15 shelters and two drop-in centres in Vancouver funded by the Emergency Shelter Program. These represent 1500 beds.
The Emergency Shelter Program has its own e-newsletter. Building Connections provides program updates and news on a quarterly basis to agencies funded by the program and others who are interested in receiving updates on emergency shelter and homeless outreach programs. To subscribe, click here and follow the directions.
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| Who's Who? |
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Vancouver’s Community Non-Profit Partners
Fifteen of the city’s most experienced and respected non-profit groups work to deliver housing, shelter and support services to those in greatest need. For a contact list of the partners that operate the SROs, deliver the Homeless Outreach Program, and/or provide emergency shelter in Vancouver, click here.
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| Fact or Fiction? |
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A rumour circulated earlier this month that tenants at the Walton SRO would have to be evicted to allow for renovations. This is not true. Most of the vacant rooms at the Walton have become available through attrition. However, two tenants have been temporarily relocated to another building managed by Lookout. The renovations are currently occurring in 2 phases to reduce the impact on the tenants. Anyone temporarily displaced is guaranteed a home at the Walton once the renovations are complete.
Another rumour: tenants at the Park, Marble Arch and Carl Rooms SROs will be evicted in the next six months because the buildings will be abstinence based. Again, this is not true; there will be no evictions. These buildings will become abstinence based over time through attrition. Some tenants may be relocated to other buildings due to renovations, but they will be guaranteed a home once renovations are complete.
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| Tips and Tools |
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Communicable Disease Control
Preventing the spread of communicable diseases is an important issue facing operators of SRO hotels. While there are existing public health information resources on the topic, there is no material specifically designed for those who operate subsidized housing in the Downtown Eastside, including SROs. That's about to change. Read more.
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| Quick Facts |
- To date, $1.5 million has been spent on renovations and safety upgrades at the government SROs.
- Rents have been rolled back to $375 a month from what private owners were charging.
- Tenant liaisons are available in each building to help with communication between tenants and the construction companies during the renovation phases.
- BC Housing helped a handful of tenants evicted from a private SRO in March find housing at the Marble Arch.
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