The SRO Collaborative learned our early advocacy work that directly challenging landlords through the legal system could sometimes have unintended yet nonetheless disastrous consequences for tenants. We altered course, moving away from nuclear options such as lawsuits and toward non-legal approaches, including developing peer-led programs aimed at engaging tenants in identifying habitability issues in their building and collectively coming up with solutions while minimizing the risk of landlord backlash.
Today, the SRO Collaborative engages in coalition-based advocacy around systemic issues impacting the SRO housing stock, specifically focusing on privately-owned and -operated SRO hotels and rooming houses. As articulated in our mission statement, we aim to give tenants living in this segment of the SRO stock a voice in matters that affect them, while pushing for regulatory and policy changes that will not only protect the most vulnerable renters in Vancouver but also support tenants to eventually holistically manage, own and redevelop their homes in ways that work for the SRO tenant community.