City takes action against slumlords

Vancouver, June 11, 2009 - Three notorious Downtown Eastside single room occupancy hotels have been ordered by the City to fix problems plaguing their buildings or face court action.

Two of the buildings – the Balmoral Hotel and the Lucky Lodge – were the subject of a complaint to the Residential Tenancy Branch made by Pivot and other housing advocates earlier this year describing horrendous conditions, insect and rodent infestations, and ongoing illegal practices.

“Pivot has been calling for tougher enforcement of the Standards of Maintenance Bylaw since we began doing housing advocacy” says Laura Track, Pivot’s housing campaign lawyer. “Finally the City is taking strong action to improve conditions in some of the most unsafe and unsanitary buildings in the Downtown Eastside, and backing that up with court enforcement. This is a huge step forward.”

Pivot first called for tougher enforcement of the Standards of Maintenance Bylaw in its 2006 publication “Cracks in the Foundation.” Pivot discovered a steep decline in enforcement of the bylaw, with 106 enforcement actions taken in the Downtown Eastside in 1999, but only 8 in 2005. Pivot made numerous presentations to Council on the issue, calling on the City to exercise its authority to make necessary repairs in buildings that owners were unwilling to make themselves. When the Piccadilly Hotel was closed due to long-standing building standards violations in 2007, Pivot sued the City for its failure to enforce the bylaw, arguing that the City was negligent in allowing the building to deteriorate to such an extent that it had to be closed. The case is still before the courts.

Mayoralty candidate Gregor Robertson made tougher enforcement of the Standards of Maintenance Bylaw a part of his successful campaign platform in the 2008 City elections. City Council resolved to pursue this enforcement policy in March following presentations by Pivot and others advocating for a tougher approach. It’s the first time the City has used this option.

“The City has put a deadline on these building owners, saying ‘clean up or we’ll get a court order to force you to clean up’” says Track. “Ultimately these old and decrepit buildings need to be replaced with safe, affordable supportive housing. In the meantime, tenants deserve safety and this is an important interim measure.”