Sixty-unit hotel converts into housing that lets homeless people self-isolate

A hotel in Vancouver is the city’s first private space to be converted into housing for the homeless because of COVID-19.

The hotel is among 21 mainly public sites announced Tuesday by the province to house the homeless and vulnerable people. Some of the 939 total spaces are reserved for the homeless who need to self-isolate and others who have COVID -19 and need a place to recover after being discharged from hospital.

The province chose not to name the Vancouver hotel or any of the other hotels or motels converted into housing for the homeless.

Other new sites for the homeless include North Surrey Recreation Centre (110 beds), Kalein Hospice Centre in Vernon (eight beds) and the Vernon Curling Club (70 beds).

The Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing said “the names of hotels and motels have been excluded so that these facilities can operate privately and focus on helping people who need a safe place to self-isolate.”

In Vancouver, the 60-unit private hotel will be operated by Atira Women’s Society.

On March 27, the first two sites in the program were announced by Vancouver Mayor Kennedy Stewart: The Coal Harbour Community Centre and Roundhouse Community Centre were converted into housing for homeless people who need to maintain social distance and self-isolate.

The ministry said in an email that hotel spaces were secured at “a significant cost savings, below market rental rate.”

Janice Abbott, the Atira CEO, said creating spaces for homeless people and other vulnerable groups is a wise use of resources. “When people have symptoms that are mild, it doesn’t make sense to keep them in hospital,” she said. “This frees up beds for people who are severely (ill).”

In the hotel, guests will be able to leave their rooms but will have to stay in the building, she said.

Abbott said Atira offered jobs to all hotel staff; eight of 10 chose to stay.

Abbott said all guests will be referred by Vancouver Coastal Health. The number of people in the hotel depends on how much COVID-19 spreads in the Downtown Eastside, she said.