Councillor Bligh highlights the advocacy work of the DTES SRO Collaborative, including the tenant-led programs the organization coordinates.

Jean Swanson Vacancy control in privately owned SROs passes!

WE WON!!!! MOTION FOR VACANCY CONTROL IN SROS PASSES 10-1!!!!

A very important decision to protect some of the most affordable and precarious housing in #Vancouver. Huge thank you to the SRO Collaborative for their advocacy on this! #VanPoli #HousingIsAHumanRight More info here: thetyee.ca/News/2021/11/1…

Show your support for the residents of CRAB Park! Demand that the Park Board withdraw its request for an injunction. People have the right to decide what safe, and suitable housing is for themselves! #Vancouver #vanpoli #homelessness

Fully funded and ongoing vacancy control passes in the city budget!

The DTES SRO Collaborative is hosting a vaccine passport workshop tomorrow and Saturday at their office - 2nd floor of Sun Wah Center, from 10am -12pm & 1pm- 4pm. They will help you get your vaccine passport set up and are also doing color-printing and laminating.

Happy to share this advocacy update Federation of Canadian Municipalities after unanimous Van council vote to protect rents in SRO’s. Fed programs to sustain & increase affordability in below market housing choices is necessary for long term impact reducing displacements/homelessness DTES SRO Collaborative #vanpoli

“If you don’t have heat, why are you paying rent?” frustrated tenant Stephen Walsh said in an Tuesday interview. “I pay $700 a month.” globalnews.ca/news/8476891/v…

On May 11, join Prof. @Jeffmasuda, a researcher for housing justice, The Right to Remain and others to hear stories about the fight for tenants’ rights in Vancouver’s Single Room Occupancy housing. UVic HSD Research @UvicHsd Read more: ow.ly/3h2J50J2SWK

Since 2016, SRO tenants, organizers, academics, and students have worked together under the R2R banner to improve SRO conditions. This week, we’re off to Victoria to share our experiences of the fight for housing justice in the DTES, and what’s next. ow.ly/nuMW50J4Ct7

We’re grateful to @UvicHsd and UVic Research for creating space for us to share our work, speak directly to policy makers, and highlight the importance of community-based research. It’s not too late to register! We hope to see you there.

Our wonderful panelists are: Tom De Gray, Richard Schwab, Kevin Nanaquewitang, and/or Boomer Bundy, SRO tenant researchers with the Right to Remain Collective (The Right to Remain), Wendy Pedersen, Executive Director, Downtown Eastside SRO Collaborative (DTES SRO Collaborative), ...

You can attend tonight’s event via Zoom! Register today:

R2R tenant co-researcher Richard Schwab shares a story of his demoviction 17 years ago. He found a home in his current SRO, and support to advocate to improve amenities through the DTES SRO Collaborative. They organized, petitioned for phone service, and won!

Wendy Pederson, Executive Director or the DTES SRO Collaborative (DTES SRO Collaborative) speaks next. Wendy shares a poem by Sandy Cameron. Says the community is in the worst shape it’s ever been. Residents are suffering because of divestment from social assistance, housing.

“All the best solutions for helping people have come from the street” Woodward’s, VANDU, WAHRS. People are in danger, we need people to get on board. R2R and the DTES SRO Collaborative have a good plan in place to create a real safety net. We’re talking about buildings, but also lives.

We’d like to say thank you to the participants, team, attendees, and the Faculty of Human and Social Development at UVic (@UVicHsd UVic HSD Research UniversityOfVictoria) for making this panel such a success. We hope that you’ll join us as we keep working towards a tenant-led future for DTES SROs.

Today around 40 tenants were displaced from Keefer Rooms after a fire started in Gain Wah. Thank you to everyone in the community who came together to help tenants & their pets. Shoutout to Jill VOKRA - Vancouver Orphan Kitten Rescue Association for quickly showing up with cat carriers, food, and supplies!

Support the 39 tenants displaced from Keefer Rooms! gofund.me/bd0c4ca2