Guest Editorial: Liz Evans, PHS Community Services Society

It’s very exciting to see SRO hotels in the Downtown Eastside community being purchased by BC Housing. This secures homes for people who may have lived in them for years: rescuing them from the threat of development, high rents, poor maintenance, and ensuring that a dwindling stock of affordable housing is kept available for people in the community. SROs aren’t ideal, but they’re better than nothing as we wait for purpose-built homes for the people we care about.

In 1991, I worked the front desk of the first non-profit-managed hotel in the DTES - the Portland Hotel. This profoundly altered my life. What I now see is not a ghetto in need of saving, but rather a vibrant community - honest, up-front, full of humanity, humour, tenderness, and compassion - despite the pain, poverty and suffering. For the past 18 years, the PHS has attempted to prioritize the needs of people who have been highly marginalized.

With this in mind, it is exciting to welcome the new direction BC Housing has taken in making a priority of dedicating units in the newly purchased hotels for the homeless. Many of the people living on the street face barriers to existing shelters or housing. The only way to ensure these individuals come inside is to intentionally and explicitly dedicate funds and programs to this task. It requires this kind of direction to demand the appropriate programs get created.

While there is still much work to do in securing access to the types of addiction, health, and mental health supports needed by so many among the homeless population, the PHS is excited about giving the opportunity to people who would otherwise be sleeping in alcoves, stairwells, parkades and shop fronts humane housing as a first step.

The pain in our community does not disappear because of a clean housing unit, but without one, it is impossible. We are proud to be part of the solution, in partnership with so many others attempting to create honorable homes for those who have so often been left behind.

In response to the success of the Homeless Emergency Action Team (HEAT) shelters, BC Housing is moving to house people who are street and sheltered homeless by ensuring all provincially-owned SRO units that open in the next six months will be made available to hard-to-house individuals. Hard-to-house tenants in each building will receive a mix of supports and services depending on their needs and the size of the building. Tenants currently living in the SROs that are partially renovated will have the option to stay where they are or be assisted to find other accommodation, as they choose.

Read more updates about the government-owned SROs including the tentative construction schedule.

Homeless Outreach Program working with Downtown Community Court

Three days a week RainCity Housing homeless outreach worker Jesse Grubb meets with clients who have gone through the Downtown Community Court system and who need housing. He meets with BC Housing’s community court liaison, Willie Tang, to review the current client list - to find out what the people’s stories are, what type of housing they are looking for, and what they are suitable for. The clients who Jesse meets with need support in finding places to live.

Read more about the Homeless Outreach Program in Vancouver.

Two more Downtown Eastside shelters go 24/7

The Beacon and Haven shelters are the latest in permanent year-round shelters to convert to 24 hours per day/seven days per week operations. Staying open during the daytime makes it easier for homeless people to move from shelters into supportive housing by ensuring people are there to help them. The Beacon and Haven, both of which are operated by The Salvation Army-Vancouver Harbour Light, were renovated recently and provide 100 shelter beds and a safe place for homeless men to come for a warm meal and much needed help.

Read more about the Emergency Shelter Program in Vancouver.