B.C.’s housing minister is finally addressing questions about the costs of operating a Vancouver SRO for one tenant.
The Luugat, or the former Howard Johnson Hotel on Vancouver’s Granville Strip, is still operating a month and a half after the province promised to close it and relocate residents outside of the entertainment district.
One staff member is serving a lone tenant who previously told Global News he has a seizure disorder and requires a building with an elevator and a unit the same size or larger than his current room.
Global News asked B.C.’s housing minister how she justifies spending $101,000 in July to keep the 110-room building open for one person.
Christine Boyle said she shares the public’s frustration on this issue and that the government is working to close the building down.
“The situation at the Luugat has not been ideal for a long time, which is why we’ve been taking action to close the building down and why we’ve moved more than 80 residents from the building to other housing, with one remaining,” she said.
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When asked how the money was spent, Boyle said the building is a large one, that until very recently was housing a lot of people, which is why the costs to maintain it are high.
Boyle provided a similar answer last month.
“We’re working closely with this individual and there are specific needs that I can’t go into, of course, for privacy reasons, but we are close,” she said.
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Downtown Van has written another letter to the provincial government, requesting a timeline on the closure of the Luugat and two other publicly-owned SROs — the St. Helen’s Hotel and Granville Villa.
“To not provide clear information, it’s unacceptable,” Downtown Van president and CEO, Jane Talbot, said.
“We have an urgent and immediate crisis on Granville Street.
“The current housing does not support the needs of the people and we see that play out on the streets and yeah, it’s frustrating.”
Boyle said the province is close to closing the Luugat and more than 80 tenants have been successfully relocated into good and stable housing.
However, four former Luugat residents moved across the street to Granville Villa, even though the government promised to relocate tenants outside of the entertainment strip.
“I’m saddened by that because across the street from the Luugat is no better than the Luugat,” Talbot said.
jv is typical welfare recipient, bum from birth to death, every generation
Jay Voorhees loves government incompetence and idiocy so much that he stands and applauds it ,proving that people vote for the party that aligns with their own process of thought.
Hahahah yes! I love it. It’s a small price to pay to show the NAZl Conservatives in this province who’s boss. Because we all know by now.. it’s definitely not them 😂😂
Lock the door. This guy goes off for days at a time… Lock the doors.
Not ideal? That’s all you’ve got to say?
NDP leadership in action! Bravo
What do you get when ya cross a chicken and a rat
NDP and libs, dumber than dumb
BC government are useless sacks of turd, IQ of zero
” Not ideal ”
Wow what a brilliant revelation. The Neverending Debacle Party steps up and ,as usual, fails miserably.
Everyone now can see that Boyle is in way over her head. She never answered any of the Robertson’s questions. Hold her accountable will ya? Get this degenerate out the housing complex and toss his sorry ass on the street where he belongs. There are lots of places in Quebec where he would fit in.
Such an incompetent government. Pathetic.
Twat