Local News
Vancouver mayor pushing to remove SROs in Granville Entertainment District
The mayor of Vancouver is demanding the province do more to push single-room occupancy (SRO) supportive housing away from the Granville Entertainment District (GED).
Appearing alongside business owners and the police chief Thursday morning, Ken Sim acknowledged BC Housing has started the process of closing the Luugat, one of the SRO buildings in the area.
But he says the provincial government needs to provide clear timelines for the closure of two other problematic properties: the St. Helen’s Hotel and Granville Villa.
“Vancouver can not wait indefinitely while these buildings continue to destabilize the Granville Entertainment District,” Sim said at the media event, which took place at the Roxy nightclub.
Sim is also pushing the province to create new involuntary mental health-care beds in the city immediately, as well as deliver on a promise for a mandatory care system.
“This is about saving lives, this is about protecting businesses,” he said.
“This is about restoring confidence in our downtown core.”