B.C. housing minister says situation at single-tenant Granville SRO ‘not ideal’

British Columbia's housing minister, Christine Boyle, has acknowledged the "not ideal" situation at the Luugat Hotel, a single-room occupancy (SRO) building on Vancouver's Granville Strip that is currently housing only one tenant.

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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.

The province had promised to close the Luugat, formerly the Howard Johnson Hotel, and relocate its residents. However, the building remains operational, with one staff member serving the sole tenant. This situation has drawn criticism, particularly after Global News reported that operating the 110-room building for one person cost taxpayers over $101,000 in July.

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To not provide clear information, it’s unacceptable.

Minister Boyle stated that the government is actively working to close the building and has already moved more than 80 residents to other housing. She explained that the high costs are partly due to the building's size and its recent history of housing many people. While specific details about the remaining tenant's needs are private, Boyle indicated that the province is close to a resolution.

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We have an urgent and immediate crisis on Granville Street.

However, community groups like Downtown Van are expressing frustration over the lack of a clear timeline for the closure of the Luugat and two other publicly-owned SROs. Downtown Van's president and CEO, Jane Talbot, called the lack of information "unacceptable" and highlighted the "urgent and immediate crisis" on Granville Street, emphasizing that the current housing options do not adequately support the needs of the residents.

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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.