City council approved two grants today that will enable key service providers in the Downtown Eastside to expand their operations, providing better support for low-income renters and vulnerable sex trade workers.

A grant of $400,000 to the WISH Drop-In Centre will facilitate an expansion of their space and better accommodate services to vulnerable survival sex workers, while a grant of $8,000 to the Aboriginal Community Career Employment Services Society (ACCESS) will enable the continued operation of a Residential Tenancy Branch (RTB) in the Downtown Eastside.

“Council is strongly committed to protecting vulnerable residents in the Downtown Eastside and supporting low-income renters,” said Mayor Gregor Robertson. “These two grants reflect the City’s continued resolve to improve safety for women in the Downtown Eastside and help address challenges with affordable rental housing.”

Based at 330 Alexander Street, WISH serves approximately 400 women in the community on an on-going basis through the Drop-in Centre and other associated programming. Many of their clients are homeless or live in unstable housing; are marginalized within the community and often have serious health issues or addictions.

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The City of Vancouver has bestowed its highest award, the Freedom of the City, on former Vancouver City Councillor and tireless advocate Jim Green.

“Jim Green has made a profound impact on the City of Vancouver and he continues to be a passionate advocate for social justice, democracy, the arts and the shaping of an inclusive city for all residents,” said Mayor Gregor Robertson.

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The City of Vancouver has approved $194,160 in funding today for seven community and social economic development projects in the Downtown Eastside, which is expected to leverage an additional $360,000 in investments from private businesses, foundations and other community partners.

“These projects allow citizens, community groups, and businesses to build and strengthen the Downtown Eastside, and inspire local leadership,” said Mayor Gregor Robertson. “It’s a small amount of money that enables people to improve the health and well-being of their neighbourhood.

City Council approved a grant for an innovative housing proposal yesterday, which will see the former Remand Centre in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside converted into 95 new units of affordable housing.

“This is a great new project that will see much-needed housing built in the Downtown Eastside,” said Mayor Gregor Robertson. “Creating new affordable housing has been a top priority for this Council, and I’m proud that we’re able to partner with BladeRunners and BC Housing to make it happen.”

The grant approves over 2 Million in support of Architect Gregory Henriquez redesign of his father’s Remand Centre located at 211 Gore Avenue, between Cordova and Powell Street. The 95 new housing units will include 81 studio units and 14 one-bedroom units. 37 units will be operated by BladeRunners, an organization that provides job readiness skills and work-place training, primarily for Aboriginal youth.

In addition to the residential units, the proposal would also include the conversion of the existing gymnasium to a multi-purpose room, a community garden in the courtyard, a communal lounge and a bicycle storage facility. The City’s grant of $2 million will go towards the renovation of the facility.

“By combining affordable housing with support services and job training opportunities, we’re providing quality housing and strengthening the Downtown Eastside economy at the same time,” added the Mayor.

The 95 new units of affordable housing follows recent announcements of 20 affordable housing units above the new Strathcona Library, 37 new units at the Union Gospel Mission, and 26 units of housing for homeless and at-risk young women at 120 Jackson Avenue. The City and Province are also partnering on 14 sites of social housing, which will see over 1,500 new units of supportive housing built in Vancouver.

The council report can be read here:
http://vancouver.ca/ctyclerk/cclerk/20110503/documents/a2.pdf

Read more about the background of this building:
Architect to realize vision for remand centre, Vancouver Sun, April 28, 2011

Mayor Gregor Robertson today signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with S.U.C.C.E.S.S. establishing a long-term partnership to create affordable and supportive housing for seniors, families and youth in the City of Vancouver.

“The City of Vancouver and S.U.C.C.E.S.S. share a common goal to develop more affordable housing and support services,” said Mayor Robertson. “S.U.C.C.E.S.S. is a natural partner for the City because of their strong track record of delivering culturally-appropriate, community-based supportive housing.”

S.U.C.C.E.S.S. has been providing health-related housing and  support services for seniors in Chinatown since 2001.  And since 2008 it has been operating and managing social housing units in the Downtown Eastside of Vancouver. Over the past 38 years, it has provided over 6 million client services to Metro Vancouver.

Mayor Gregor Robertson introduced a motion today at council to have more public consultation and engagement on planning in the Downtown Eastside, saying there needs to be more community consultation before moving forward with proposals for taller buildings.

He also called for the creation of a Downtown Eastside neighbourhood committee to facilitate a neighbourhood-led engagement process. The motion was approved by council.

“We’ve heard loud and clear from people both in and outside the Downtown Eastside that they have major concerns about the proposal to allow taller buildings in the neighbourhood,” said Mayor Robertson. “The long-term revitalization of the DTES requires broad community buy-in and support, and we don’t have that yet.

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