'Granville Street is in full crisis': New pleas to immediately shut down all problematic SROs
So far, the provincial government has committed to closing the particularly controversial Luugat supportive housing building, with residents informed by BC Housing last month that they would be relocated to other sites ahead of the property’s permanent closure no later than the end of June 2026.
However, the HVA says the provincial government must move much faster — and go further — to address all problematic buildings they believe are contributing to business struggles, rising crime and increasing disorder along the Granville Strip. There was a noticeable shift in the entertainment district beginning about five years ago, after the provincial government rapidly expanded supportive housing in the area as a pandemic-time measure by acquiring older budget tourist hotels — including the Howard Johnson Hotel and HI Vancouver Downtown Hostel, which was particularly popular with students and other young travellers before the pandemic.
“Following another catastrophic period of violence and street disorder, Hospitality Vancouver Association is urging the B.C. Government to immediately close three SROs and relocate the nearly 300 residents to more appropriate housing that includes support services,” said HVA spokesperson Laura Ballance in a statement last week.
“The situation on the street is escalating daily, with a mid-afternoon murder in the middle of the busy street being a clear demonstration that despite the best efforts and diligence by the Vancouver Police Department the situation in and around these SROs is no longer manageable.”
Granville Villa (former HI Vancouver Central Hostel) at 1025 Granville St., Vancouver. (Google Maps)
Downtown Van (the local business improvement association for downtown Vancouver’s Central Business District and the Granville Entertainment District) supports the calls for quick meaningful action.
“We stood up for the businesses on Granville Street that have long shouldered the impacts of persistent street disorder and the complex challenges associated with the SROs in the GED. We are encouraged to see that residents of the Luugat will soon be relocated to housing that better supports their needs and provides safe, humane living conditions,” reads a statement by Downtown Van.
“These SROs were placed on Granville by the province at the height of the pandemic as a temporary emergency measure. It is now critical that the province expedite the relocation of the remaining SROs, as Granville Street is at a tipping point and urgently needs a sustainable, long-term path forward for everyone in the neighbourhood.”
Vancouver mayor Ken Sim echoed the call for immediate closures, saying municipal authorities are unable to address these buildings alone and that they are a major strain on police and fire rescue resources.
In June 2025, Vancouver City Council approved the Granville Street Plan of revitalizing the entertainment district over the short-, medium-, and long-term, including closing and relocating the old SROs/supportive housing found on the Granville Strip. The City subsequently identified five potential municipally-owned sites where new purpose-built replacement supportive housing could be built by the provincial government.
“What we’re seeing on Granville Street is unacceptable for everyone from the vulnerable people living in these SROs, to the businesses trying to keep their doors open,” said Sim.
“We are again calling on the Province to step in, close these unsafe buildings immediately, and ensure residents are moved into appropriate, supported housing. We are doing our part, and we expect the Province to move with the same urgency.”
Business owner Dave Kershaw of Cabana Lounge, located on the ground level of the St. Helen’s building, said the conditions of being directly below the SRO residents has deteriorated significantly.
“Granville Street is no longer safe for the vulnerable population living in these rotting and derelict buildings; nor is it safe for the employees and patrons of the businesses along Granville. The situation is getting worse daily and we need immediate action from the BC Government and BC Housing. Granville Street is in full crisis,” said Kershaw.
Fire at the Luugat supportive housing building (former Howard Johnson Hotel) on June 11, 2025. (Kenneth Chan)
According to statistics, between 2020 and 2025, calls to the Luugat alone reached 4,000 police responses and 906 fire responses, St. Helen’s triggered 313 police calls and 1,297 fire calls, and Granville Villa saw 597 police responses and 425 fire responses. Combined, police and fire crews have attended to the three locations 6,641 times in five years — an 822 per cent increase in emergency calls and a 975 per cent increase in police workload.
In addition to urging immediate relocation of residents, the organization is renewing demands for investigations into living conditions, provincial oversight and funding structures associated with the SROs.
The HVA contends that the buildings have failed to provide humane, supportive shelter for some of Vancouver’s most vulnerable residents and are instead contributing to escalating public safety challenges in the city’s entertainment district.
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