Affordable homes, health, social services coming to Downtown Eastside (flickr.com)

Media Contacts

Ministry of Housing

Media Relations
236 478-0251

Backgrounders

Services, supports provided in the DTES in the past year

The Province has taken the following actions to support people living or experiencing homelessness in the Downtown Eastside (DTES) over the last year:

  • In 2024, the Province provided funding through the Community Emergency Preparedness Fund to upgrade the Carnegie Community Centre to operate as a safe centre for vulnerable people during extreme weather, including heat and poor air quality.
  • The Province, through BC Housing, provided approximately $4 million combined to the 390 Main Street and 320 Alexander Street Drop-in Programs in 2024. These funds enable the City of Vancouver to deliver vital services, including safe refuge, food, healing and wellness support for vulnerable people.
  • In May 2023, the Province introduced amendments to enable the city to regulate single-room occupancy (SRO) vacancy control, keeping rents affordable for people with low incomes, preventing as many as 1,000 people from losing their homes.
  • In November 2023, construction started on more than 100 affordable and supportive homes, located at 320 Hastings St., for Indigenous people and people experiencing or at risk of homelessness in the DTES.
  • In October 2023, the Province bought Keefer Rooms, 222 Keefer St., preventing nearly 50 affordable housing units from being lost to the private market.
  • In August 2023, construction started on Ho'-kee-melh Kloshe Lum, located at 1015 East Hastings St., which will provide approximately 170 mixed-use homes and 80 shelter beds for Indigenous people and others in the community.
  • In summer 2023, the Province opened nearly 90 new safe temporary supportive homes for people experiencing homelessness, located at 2142 Ash St., and 1525 and 1535 Western St.
  • In 2023, the Province provided a one-time grant of $11 million to the Downtown Eastside Single Room Occupancy Collaborative Society to offer supports to people living in private SROs.
  • In 2023-24, the Province provided approximately $1.8 million to the DTES Women’s Centre to renovate its facilities, such as centralized office spaces, upgraded accessibility features, programming space and a kitchen that will provide meals for more than 900 women.
  • In April 2023, the Province, through BC Housing, provided $54.6 million to purchase and renovate the 115-unit building at 1450 West 12th Ave. to provide supportive housing for people living in Vancouver SRO buildings, opening additional avenues toward housing for people sheltering outdoors in the DTES.
  • The Province provides $275,000 annually to fund the Overdose Prevention Society’s Emergency Response in the DTES (The Hub). The Province also provided a $21,000 grant to the society to purchase emergency supplies in 2023.
  • In 2023, the Province provided $54,000 to update the Wish Drop-In Centre Society’s facilities.
  • In 2023, the Province provided $25,000 to the Binners’ Project to purchase supplies, safety gear and uniforms.