In the Media

Fire Safety in SROs

2022 Was a Deadly Year for SRO Fires in Vancouver, Jen St. Denis, 02 Feb 2023: https://thetyee.ca/News/2023/02/02/2022-Deadly-Year-SRO-Fires/

Vancouver approves pilot project to improve fire safety in SROs: Council was unanimous in vote for new pilot project on Tuesday, CBC News, 01 Feb 2023:
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/vancouver-sro-fire-budget-1.6733048

Vancouver council approves plan to improve fire safety in city’s SROs, Simon Little & Jasmine Bala, Global News, 31 January 2023: 
https://globalnews.ca/news/9449532/sro-fire-safety-plan-vancouver/

Vancouver looks to improve fire safety in SROs, Jasmine Bala, January 30, 2023

: https://globalnews.ca/video/9448139/vancouver-looks-to-improve-fire-safety-in-sros

How one non-profit aims to improve fire safety in Vancouver’s SROs: More than 600 fires occurred in SROs over the past three years, including the deadly Winters Hotel blaze, Mike Howell, Vancouver is Awesome, 30 Jan 2023:
https://www.vancouverisawesome.com/local-news/how-one-non-profit-aims-to-improve-fire-safety-in-vancouvers-sros-6460580

Vancouver city council to consider $110K grant for fire safety in SROs, Ian Holliday, CTV News Vancouver, 28 Jan 2023:
https://bc.ctvnews.ca/vancouver-city-council-to-consider-110k-grant-for-fire-safety-in-sros-1.6250799

Winters Fire Victim Remembered As Dedicated Mom and Caregiver, Jen St. Denis, The Tyee, 26 Apr 2022: https://thetyee.ca/News/2022/04/26/Winters-Fire-Victim-Remembered/

The Winters Hotel Burned Down. Are Other SROs at Risk?, Jen St. Denis, The Tyee, 25 Apr 2022: https://thetyee.ca/News/2022/04/25/Winters-Hotel-Burned-Down-Other-SROs-At-Risk/

Vancouver SRO Fire Leaves 144 Tenants Homeless, Jen St. Denis, The Tyee, 13 Apr 2022: https://thetyee.ca/News/2022/04/13/Vancouver-SRO-Fire-Leaves-144-Tenants-Homeless/

Chinatown Organizing

In Chinatown, Precious Few Places for Seniors to Live, Christopher Cheung, 8 Feb 2023:  https://thetyee.ca/News/2023/02/08/Few-Places-For-Seniors-Living-In-Chinatown/

‘Small Care’ Happens Every Day, Kaitlyn Fung, 15 Dec 2022: https://thetyee.ca/Solutions/2022/12/15/Small-Care-Happens-Every-Day/

Maclean’s, Seniors in Vancouver’s Chinatown are battling poverty and racism to put food on the table: How a community program is knocking down barriers and feeding seniors, by Nathan Sing, January 25, 2022

No Translation, No Vaccine for Some Immigrant Seniors, Jen St. Denis and Christopher Cheung, 18 Jun 2021: https://thetyee.ca/News/2021/06/18/No-Translation-No-Vaccine-Some-Immigrant-Seniors/

Seniors in Chinatown Need Help Accessing Vaccine Information, Say Advocates, Jen St. Denis, 02 Mar 2021: https://thetyee.ca/News/2021/03/02/Seniors-Chinatown-Need-Help-Accessing-Vaccine-Info/

Vacancy Control in SROs

Unaffordable affordable homes: Rent at some single room occupancy units more than $1,000, Joel Ballard, CBC News, Mar 28, 2023: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/unaffordable-affordable-homes-1.6792762

Vancouver to appeal ruling that struck down bylaws limiting rent increases for single-room housing: Mayor says appeal is about standing up for those most at risk of homelessness, Chad Pawson, CBC News, 02 Sep 2022:
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/vancouver-bylaws-limiting-sro-rent-increases-between-tenancies-appeal-1.6571312

Rent Control for Private SROs Passes in Vancouver, Jen St. Denis, 18 Nov 2021: https://thetyee.ca/News/2021/11/18/Rent-Control-Private-SROs-Passes-Vancouver/

Rent Control Proposed for Vancouver’s Poorest Tenants, Jen St. Denis, 12 Nov 2021: https://thetyee.ca/News/2021/11/12/Rent-Control-Proposed-Vancouver-Poorest-Tenants/

COVID-19 Response

In Vancouver’s SROs, Tenants Look Out for Each Other During the Pandemic, Jen St. Denis, 05 May 2021: https://thetyee.ca/News/2021/05/05/Vancouver-SROs-Tenants-Look-Out-Each-Other-During-Pandemic/

Downtown Eastside organizations mobilize in fight against coronavirus, Eric Zimmer, Daily Hive, 25 Mar 2020:
https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/downtown-eastside-coronavirus

City’s SRO Revitalization Strategy

After Two Disastrous Decades, Vancouver Gets Serious about Protecting SROs, Jen St. Denis, 13 Nov 2020: https://thetyee.ca/News/2020/11/13/Two-Decades-Now-Vancouver-Serious-Protecting-SROs/

Vancouver Council Votes for $1-Billion SRO Purchase Plan, Jen St. Denis, 15 Oct 2020: https://thetyee.ca/News/2020/10/15/Vancouver-SRO-Purchase-Plan/

General Habitability, Affordability, Evictions

Inside an SRO Eviction Attempt, Jen St. Denis, 5 Apr 2023: https://thetyee.ca/News/2023/04/05/Inside-SRO-Eviction-Attempt/

Regent and Balmoral Hotels

Balmoral Continued to Rot Under City Ownership and Must be Torn Down, Jen St. Denis, 15 Feb 2022: https://thetyee.ca/News/2022/02/15/Balmoral-Must-Be-Torn-Down/

Vancouver Paid $11.5 Million for Condemned Regent and Balmoral Hotels, Jen St. Denis, 15 Dec 2020: https://thetyee.ca/News/2020/12/15/Vancouver-Regent-Balmoral-Hotel-Cost/

‘It’s Just a Continuous Loss of Housing’, Jen St. Denis, 13 Nov 2019: https://thetyee.ca/News/2019/11/13/Losing-SRO-Housing/

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