Close X
Saturday, November 30, 2024
ADVT 
National

Three Vancouver hotels bought to house homeless

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 01 Apr, 2021 09:39 PM
  • Three Vancouver hotels bought to house homeless

The B.C. government has purchased three more hotels to help house the homeless in Vancouver.

Housing Minister David Eby says in a news release the properties will help the province meet its goal of providing dignified indoor living spaces for everyone currently camping in Vancouver's Strathcona Park by the end of the month.

The province says it is spending about $75.5 million to buy the Patricia Hotel and two properties on Main Street.

The buildings have a total of 249 units and about 114 are expected to be offered soon to people experiencing homelessness.

BC Housing will work with current long-term tenants at the Patricia Hotel to ensure they have appropriate accommodation as the building transitions to supportive housing, while tenants at the other two hotels will not be displaced.

This comes after a federal announcement of the purchase of three other properties through the Rapid Housing Initiative, including the Ramada Hotel on West Pender Street.

Together, all six buildings will provide about 340 permanent supportive homes, the B.C. government says.

"Street homelessness and encampments aren't working for anyone in Vancouver — not for people who have been living outside over the winter in unsafe conditions without access to supports, and not for their neighbours who live nearby," Eby says in a statement.

Initially, the Patricia Hotel will provide about 100 permanent homes with wraparound supports and a non-profit housing operator will be on-site to manage the building and provide services.

Daily meals, access to life-skills training, recovery services, employment assistance, counselling and physical and mental health resources will be available to residents, the government says.

BC Housing is reaching out to non-profit housing providers to explore support services for the two buildings on Main Street.

MORE National ARTICLES

Minister replaces staffer again at WE hearing

Minister replaces staffer again at WE hearing
Members of the House of Commons' ethics committee had asked a senior adviser to Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland to testify following an order to that effect from Parliament last week.

Minister replaces staffer again at WE hearing

B.C.'s top doctor and climate activist Greta Thunberg receiving honorary UBC degrees

B.C.'s top doctor and climate activist Greta Thunberg receiving honorary UBC degrees
Henry will receive her honorary degree at the Vancouver campus of the university while Thunberg will be granted hers at the Okanagan location in Kelowna.

B.C.'s top doctor and climate activist Greta Thunberg receiving honorary UBC degrees

Vancouver Police investigate after senior struck and killed near Olympic Village

Vancouver Police investigate after senior struck and killed near Olympic Village
The collision occurred around 7 p.m. on March 4, near Columbia Street and West 2nd Avenue.

Vancouver Police investigate after senior struck and killed near Olympic Village

Israeli-Palestinian tensions persist within NDP

Israeli-Palestinian tensions persist within NDP
The party has released its list of resolutions up for debate at the event, including a half-dozen that articulate solidarity with Palestinian causes or call for sanctions and stronger condemnation of Israel.

Israeli-Palestinian tensions persist within NDP

PHAC ordered to explain fired scientists

PHAC ordered to explain fired scientists
PHAC president Iain Stewart has refused to explain to the committee why Xiangguo Qiu and her husband, Keding Cheng, were fired in January, 18 months after being escorted from the National Microbiology Laboratory in Winnipeg.

PHAC ordered to explain fired scientists

Lower Mainland vaccine response 'overwhelming'

Lower Mainland vaccine response 'overwhelming'
A statement issued by the Ministry of Health said appointments opened today, but London Drugs posted a message Tuesday saying all bookings at its three designated sites had been filled.

Lower Mainland vaccine response 'overwhelming'