In Vancouver, large numbers of SROs (single room occupancy) have been fallen into the hands of developers and are now being converted to upscale condominiums. The dwindling stock of affordable and social housing has been declining for years and has recently accelerated due to a number of social and political issues. Poor construction, improper maintenance, irresponsible management and lack of funding have resulted in the closure of several major buildings over the last few months alone.
As a result of internal and external pressures, the City of Vancouver has been in the process of acquiring these and other buildings in hopes of reversing this discouraging trend and creating new, responsible and accountable housing. The City recently announced that they have bought 15 properties across Vancouver and that these sites will either be renovated and turned into new housing projects, or sold and the City will use the money acquired to finance others. As a major percentage of these buildings are located within the Downtown Eastside (DTES) important decisions will need to be made in regards to how the City deals with problems of affordable, social or non-market housing.
The DTES already boasts a number of key facilities to deal with social problems (gospel missions, food banks, counselling services, clinics, safe drug injection sites) but also perpetuates an unhealthy and regressive lifestyle (easy and cheap access to drugs and alcohol, crime, violence against women, concerns for safety). Concentrating all new social housing developments in one area of town helps to segregate the population, further perpetuating fear and misunderstanding about our society’s less unfortunate citizens, offering little integration into society at large; however, it could also help to foster a sense of community, in a place where citizens are familiar with and have established social circles.
It is my intention of this blog to examine the issues and concerns of social, or non-market housing, investigates the policies and economy that regulate these buildings and look at the design and architectural impact upon the urban fabric of the city.
