Single Room Occupancy hotels

SROs are Single Room Occupancy hotels that provide short-term or long-term accommodation in single rooms, typically without private bathrooms or kitchens.  

Overview
To help protect existing affordable housing stock, the Province has acquired 26 Single Room Occupancy hotels in Vancouver, Victoria, and New Westminster totalling approximately 1,500 rooms.

The single room occupancy (SRO) hotels were purchased to preserve this important stock 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 affordable 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. For the latest information on the renovations, visit the Vancouver Community Non-Profit Partner's newsletter, Vancouver Housing Update .

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 this stock while we plan and build new affordable housing units.