Single Room Occupancy Hotels

Single Room Occupancy hotels (SROs) provide short-term or long-term accommodation in single rooms, typically without private bathrooms or kitchens.  To help protect this existing affordable housing stock, the Province acquired 26 Single Room Occupancy hotels in Vancouver, Victoria, and New Westminster totalling approximately 1,500 rooms.

The SRO hotels were purchased to preserve this important resource of affordable housing for low-income people who are at risk of homelessness. Many SROs in downtown Vancouver were sold in 2006 and 2007, with the potential for use as more expensive forms of housing. The provincial purchase of these SROs means this stock of housing will remain available to those in need, removing the option of private sector acquisition for conversion or closure.

Many of the SRO hotels need substantial repairs and the provincial purchases provide the opportunity to repair and renovate rooms to bring them up to an acceptable standard so that people feel more safe and secure.

The City of Vancouver has identified preserving the existing SRO stock as an important priority in addressing homelessness. The Province is acting with the city to help preserve these units while we plan and build new affordable housing units.