BC government buys another Vancouver hotel to house homeless

The American Hotel (Google)

After recently buying the Howard Johnson Hotel and the Buchan Hotel in Vancouver to provide housing for the homeless, the province said on Monday that it has now also purchased the American Hotel as part of its affordable housing plan.

“Housing is the foundation of peoples’ lives, and we’ve seen that our supportive housing model works in helping people transition to the next chapter in their story,” said Housing Minister Selina Robinson. “These homes will provide another safe, secure and supportive option for people as they move forward in their journey to independent living.”

The building will be managed by BC Housing, who will provide residents with supports like daily living skills training, such as budgeting, nutrition management, meal preparation, medication management, house cleaning and other skills, according to the city.

Current tenants at the hotel will be allowed to remain and will have access to the supportive services as needed.

In addition to purchasing the hotel at 928 Main Street, the provincial government also bought the adjacent vacant site at 938 Main Street, for a total investment of $17.9 million through the Supportive Housing Fund.

“Nothing is more critical for the City of Vancouver and our residents than tackling the housing affordability crisis; that’s why seeing the Province of BC purchase the American Hotel to provide more affordable housing is welcome news,” said Vancouver Mayor Kennedy Stewart.

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Over the long term, BC Housing plans to redevelop the American Hotel, as well as the adjacent vacant site, to create additional rental housing in the community. BC Housing will engage with the community on how these sites can be used to build a mix of homes and will go through the municipal rezoning process.

The hotel was renovated in 2010 and has since operated as a single-room occupancy hotel.