The provincial government in British Columbia has purchased 11 residential hotels in an effort to improve its handling of a rapidly increasing homeless population.
"The B.C. government's announcement that it was purchasing 10 residential hotels in Vancouver and one in Victoria caught housing advocates and even provincial insiders off guard, yesterday."
"The City of Vancouver has Canada's fastest-growing homeless population, a trend fuelled in part by a recent buying binge in which real estate developers have been acquiring single-room occupancy (SRO) hotels for conversion to other uses. Housing advocates who spoke to The Tyee yesterday said the newly announced $80 million shopping spree will buy the City of Vancouver a few months of sorely needed breathing room to help cope with the problem."
"'It's depressing if you live in a hotel,' said Mark Townsend, who directs the Portland Hotel Society. 'It could be sold at any moment and you could be chucked out. So for the people living in these hotels, this is good news. And hopefully, it means these buildings are going to be better maintained.'"
FULL STORY: Province Snaps Up Poverty Hotels
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
San Francisco's School District Spent $105M To Build Affordable Housing for Teachers — And That's Just the Beginning
SFUSD joins a growing list of school districts using their land holdings to address housing affordability challenges faced by their own employees.
The Tiny, Adorable $7,000 Car Turning Japan Onto EVs
The single seat Mibot charges from a regular plug as quickly as an iPad, and is about half the price of an average EV.
San Diego Votes to Rein in “Towering” ADUs
City council voted to limit the number of units in accessory buildings to six — after confronting backyard developments of up to 100 units behind a single family home.
Texas Legislature’s Surprising Pro-Housing Swing
Smaller homes on smaller lots, office to apartment conversions, and 40% less say for NIMBYs, vote state lawmakers.
Even Edmonton Wants Single Staircase Buildings
Canada's second most affordable major city joins those angling to nix the requirement for two staircases in multi-family buildings.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
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Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
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