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- cross-posted to:
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The Lotus is a private SRO (single room occupancy) hotel, which has historically housed thousands of the poorest people in Vancouver, usually around shelter rates. But over the years, private operators have raised the rents at many of the properties they own, which often include renovations.
Can someone explain like I’m 5 how is this possible? Isn’t the whole purpose of SROs to provide affordable housing? How can a company acquire an SRO, pay people to leave and then start renting the rooms for 2k/month? Doesn’t SRO status remain after the person leaves and doesn’t SRO status set a rent limit?
I searched for the article shown during the video in the article: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/vancouver-bylaws-limiting-sro-rent-increases-between-tenancies-quashed-1.6543413
(Aug 05, 2022) A ruling issued this week by Justice Karen F. Douglas found that the city, under its Vancouver Charter, does not have the authority to set how a property owner changes rent for what are also known as SROs — single room occupancy housing — when a tenant moves out, because of conflicts with the provincial Residential Tenancy Act.
Now I’m onto researching what is the point of an SRO then. If there’s no pricing control, it’s just an acronym for micro apartments…? That can’t be.
https://vancouver.ca/people-programs/single-room-accommodation-bylaw.aspx
The SRA Bylaw prevents the loss of low-income housing and the displacement of tenants in Vancouver’s Downtown core. Single room accommodation includes single room occupancy hotels (SRO), rooming houses, and non-market housing with rooms less than 320 square feet. The bylaw prevents tenant displacement and the loss of this housing stock by regulating its alteration, conversion, and demolition.
Okay, so the only thing that SROs have going for them in terms of regulation is that altering, converting, or demolishing SRAs requires a permit. Non-profit SROs can apply for grants, but private SROs can just treat it as a regular rental property. That’s totally different from what I had in mind for what an SRA program should be if they were really aiming to prevent displacement. And it’s even worse that the city actually made it with rent control legislation, and it was taken down by the province. Infuriating.
Looks like another example of sham regulation designed to appease the people while actually supporting the rich.