Global News has learned that one guest has been staying at a former hotel on Granville Street, despite the B.C. government promising to shut it down.
The Luugat, now owned by the B.C. government, still has one last resident — Ryan Donnelly.
He was also still living there in mid-July.
The Ministry of Housing said it cost $101,000 to house Donnelly in July and he is still there.
“It’s insane,” Vancouver Coun. Sarah Kirby-Yung said.
Get daily National news
“I did some quick math and based on the average rent for, let’s say a one-bedroom apartment in Vancouver, you could house somebody at market rent for more than four years for what it is costing taxpayers to keep one person in that building for one month.”
There is now no timeline to shutter the Luugat.
Housing Minister Christine Boyle did not make herself available for an interview on Tuesday.
- Quebec election leaders’ debates approach as campaigns wrap up 3rd week
- Calgary councillor seeks provincial probe into closed-door meetings after document leak
- Mark Carney meets with ‘Forever Canadian’ campaigners in Banff
- Nova Scotia to expand protections for people affected by AI-generated intimate images
-
![]()
Majority of Canadians support Carney’s handling of trade war, polls show -
![]()
‘We need all of our allies on board’: US ambassador on Canada’s role in confronting terrorism -
![]()
‘Cyclists aren’t secondary’: Toronto riders protest Ford’s bike lane removal plan -
![]()
Trump suggests Canada-U.S. trade deal could happen ‘fairly soon’
Last month, Donnelly told Global News he suffers from a seizure disorder and requires a large room.
For significantly less money, the province could rent the Lieutenant Governor’s Suite at Fairmont Hotel Vancouver with the monthly cost, including breakfast and evening snacks in the executive lounge, totalling about $70,000.
That is so FU, an absolute waste for tax payers when that $ could be put to firefighting, it’s such an embarrassment for BC, first investigate the SRO management, and the government that’s handing them the funds
It shows how foolishly our government is spending tax payers money.
This is a grossly inaccurate and deeply one-dimensional depiction of the reality of supporting people who would be living in this type of housing if it were fully occupied.
As a journalist, you should be ashamed of publishing rage-bait that reduces an incredibly complex social issue to a narrative that encourages people to resent or blame homeless people. This kind of reporting contributes directly to the “hate homeless people” rhetoric that already makes it harder to have meaningful conversations about housing, poverty, disability, and social services.
People living in SROs are often living in deplorable conditions while experiencing extreme poverty, significant disabilities, and complex barriers to accessing adequate housing and support. These are not simply people who need to be housed; they are people who have been failed by systems that are supposed to support them.
If you are going to report on the cost of housing and supporting vulnerable people, you have a responsibility to provide the full context rather than manufacturing outrage at the expense of people with the least power.
I encourage you to seriously reflect on how you arrived at this framing, whose perspectives were centred in your reporting, and who ultimately bears the consequences of the narrative you chose to publish.
This has to be a gross exhaduration. Whoever is getting greedy with funds is the real problem.
Got bullets
So not only am I useless to society, I am going to cost you at least $100,000 a month to house me. In a world of 8 billion people this does not seem like a sustainable solution.
Can they not find him a large 2 bedroom for even $3000/month? $100k a month seems insane and why is it costing that much? You can rent a mansion on the west van waterfront for like $20k a month! Im sure he wouod prefer that as would taxpayers! If we can afford to pay $100k a month to one man , then the bc ndp can raise poverty financial aid rates!
It only gets worse when you factor in that this gong show has been going on for over a year.
I’d be guessing that this guy has personally cost the taxpayers millions of dollars over his life.
Given who is in charge of this province is it any wonder why we see the lunacy that we see?
That’s just insane, who the heck is responsible for this and what about me or others that are disabled or just plain broke
$70k to stay at the Lieutanant Governors Suite for less than the Luggat, man this guy knows how to use & abuse the system. How do I sign up lol
Waste of skin, hopefully eats dirt
Why are we paying for one person who will not stay off of drugs for a place to live. I dont care if its an “illness” or past “traumas” he has. If you have cancer you get treatment. If live below the poverty line, you get free mental health services.
100,000 a month could help the food bank. 100,000 a month, could create 10 dollar a daycare spots (for people who work, to help pay for him to live there). With 100,000 how many spots could be made available? Why is the working class from minimum wage to people making 6 figures paying the same amount in taxes, for people in these situations. Yet they won’t take the help for addiction and mental health, that is free for them we pay for. Yet someone who has a job, has a drug/alcohol or mental health issues don’t have benefits with work, “make to much” in the eyes of the government can’t get help.
Kick him out, needs a bigger room because he has seizures, do you know what helps, stay off drugs, booze or any thing that triggers. Take your free medication that other people can’t afford. Redirect the funds for things that the people who are paying taxes, get the help they need to survive. If we are paying for SRO’s any who will not enter into a drug rehabilitation program and stay off drugs Do Not get to live in one. If they won’t seek a mental health programs they dont get free place to live on my dime.
I’m sure the bleeding heart will come for me, before you do, think about the families that are barley scraping by on the verge of loosing their homes even though they work 2 to 3 jobs and trying to feed kids. Can’t afford bare essentials, have to skip meals. They just barely make over that imaginary line, so there is no help or very little.
“Housing Minister Christine Boyle did not make herself available for an interview on Tuesday.”
Is anyone surprised?
How come you can’t leave a comment on the NDP giving our land away.
BC is a disastrous province full of NDP idiots who like nothing more then complete and utter catastophies to fleece the taxpayers , which are themselves , stupidity their has no boundaries . That province is a complete disgrace to civilized people .
Anyone who isn’t enraged by this is a moron. Liberal, conservative, it shouldn’t matter.
What is wrong with eby and his government. Don’t give a rat’s ass about the tax payers. Turned us into a joke.
Seriously, Global News? Did this tenant give you his permission to put his personal business on blast like this? Sounds like the dude has it hard enough without you putting a target on his back for any butthurt conservative that decides to take their grievances out on him.
Eby and this NDP government are a total waste of space and they love wasting taxpayers money. Whatever they touch goes wrong.
Don’t give the government ideas, they may house there, a savings of $30,000.00, looks good to a politician and beurocrat!
God I hope he doesn’t have any electrical problems.
Hahaha that’s awesome. I hope they stay there permanently just so I can see all of the butthurt Conservative whiners in the Global comment section cry about it every time Global posts a story about it 🤣🤣
Why are you violating this person’s privacy? While this is unfortunate, government mismanagement is not his fault.
They should put more people in the building and it would make sense. The bias in this is insane.
Good
Job David Eby. BC is broke, burned to a crisp and your a failure in every aspect
Of the word.
$101,000 ? Can someone show a break down of that 100 000 please? There is no possible way , sorry I call B.S on that !
who is running the show here get rid of him that money can helps some seniors with food all talk no action
What is wrong with eby and his government. Don’t give a rat’s ass about the tax payers. Turned us into a joke.
The BC government as well as the wanker mayor
This is off the rails. The BC government is mocking all the hard working people of this province.
Province is a Joke
Can’t Eby spare a couch?
Theres dumb and theres dumber, then theres BC government
who cares it bc
Possibly the worst Provincial government in the history of Canada.
The Needles, Drugs and Poverty Party are known for their insanity.Eby will have to consult the First Nations on how to proceed forward with this situation followed by an environmental study.By the time a decision is made it will have been cheaper to buy this guy a home in the upper shelf of the British Properties.
These cranium caverned NDP elitists have no respect for the taxpayers of this Province
The Lefties should house the Menace at the LG’s Suite at the Fairmont. What a fiasco that would be.
Insanity.