Vancouver City Council Approves Projects for the Downtown Eastside

Photo Credit: Low Hammond Rowe Architects/BC Housing via The Daily Hive

The Vancouver city council has approved a new set of policies aimed to enhance the Downtown Eastside (DTES), targeting four main areas: housing, local economy, wellbeing and public safety. These directives were put in place to address the many challenges the area has been facing.

The plan includes allocating $2 million for Single Room Occupancy upgrades. Single Room Occupancy (SROs) are a part of the Single Room Accommodation (SRAs) bylaw. This bylaw was enacted in 2003 and was placed to regulate alterations, conversions, and demolitions to prevent the loss of low-income housing. SROs are small, affordable, single rooms. According to a 2023 council staff presentation, “SROs are considered a housing of last resort before homelessness.” They currently house thousands of low-income occupants, with many of the buildings needing urgent safety repairs. The city’s long-term goal is to eventually replace these buildings with newer social housing. As of now, SROs remain an important resource to prevent the threat of further loss of affordable housing.

The SRO housing initiatives are a part of the DTES Housing Implementation Report, which the council has advanced to a public hearing set to take place on Dec. 9. In order to advance goals without displacing certain residents, zoning changes may be considered. 

In attempts to bolster the DTES economy, the city endorsed and approved the Temporary Occupancy Permit Pilot (TOPP) that streamlines the process of obtaining permits for vacant storefronts. The TOPP allows six different business types to obtain these permits efficiently, aiming for entrepreneurs to bring new activity to unused spaces and diversify the streets. 

In terms of public well-being, the city is advocating for the province to fund two daytime drop-in spaces to provide essentials such as showers, laundry, and meals for the homeless. The province has already extended funding to Watari Counselling and Support Services and Aboriginal Front Door Society (AFDS). This funding was first provided in 2023 and was originally supposed to end in September before its end date was pushed to March 31, 2026. Watari will receive over $1.2 million, and AFDS will receive $625,000. In a news release, Christine Boyle, Minister of Housing and Municipal Affairs, noted that “many people experiencing homelessness in the Downtown Eastside struggle to get basic comforts that we can take for granted, like a fresh meal or hot shower.” Boyle expressed that “both Watari and AFDS provide core services, providing relief for many vulnerable people, as well as building important community connections, and I'm thrilled to see these services continue.”

Public safety continues to be a concern, with the Vancouver city council requesting the federal government to tighten bail and sentencing laws to protect against high-risk, repeated offenders being released into the community while awaiting trial. The city is also pushing for the use of diversion courts, which are programs for people charged with minor crimes. This would allow the already overbooked courts to focus on more high-risk offenders. 

The city promises to continue working with the provincial and federal governments to complete these goals.