Campaigners who help vulnerable people say the split hikes are a big obstacle for those who are at risk of being homeless.
In downtown Vancouver, there are over 160 individual apartment buildings.
Some run to the City of Vancouver or non-profit organizations and rent apartments for $375 a month. Others are run by private owners who set the amount of rent and rent to whomever they please.
$300 for one room
Johnny Loudon has been staying with his girlfriend at the Grand Union Hotel in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside for two months. They pay $1,100 per month for a camera with a few reservations and the rest.
He says he has seen rats, cockroaches and bed bugs in his bedroom. He claims that he often fights and couples are so cold that he needs to use a small electric heater.
It is an abomination. It’s like a slap in the face considering how much I’m paying, saying no.
In Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside, many homeless people sleep in shelters. Others rented a single room in a residential building.
Photo: (Ben Nelms/CBC)
Johnny Loudon says he slept on the streets and in shelters for six years before receiving this benefit.
The couple spends a large portion of what they receive on property and falls short of their pension.
“It is worth it that we wanted to get out of the streets and shelters. There is too much violence. »
– Courtesy of Johnny Loudon
CBC contacted the owner of the Grand Union Hotel for an interview, but did not hear back.
The City of Vancouver’s attempt to limit rent growth to individual apartments in 2021 was approved, but was defeated in court. They appealed to the city.
Councilor Christine Boyle is disappointed and calls for more affordable housing.
He recommends that federal and provincial regulators work with the City of Vancouver to turn private one-room buildings into public properties.
British Columbia’s Ministry of Housing declined to be interviewed, but said the province has been working with the federal government and the City of Vancouver to improve individual homes, either by converting them into self-contained units or by relocating them. suitable buildings.
With information from Joel Ballard
