Carceral Tenancies in Vancouver

published on October 4, 2023 by Nathan Crompton & Tyson Singh Kelsall ਤੈਸੋਨਂ ਸਿੰਘ in The Mainlander

In Vancouver, British Columbia, there are a small number of nonprofit housing organizations – among them PHS and Atira – that receive the lion’s share of public funding and other resources to provide housing for people living with low incomes.

Nonprofits generally operate “supportive,” “transitional,” and/or “temporary” housing arrangements, which means their residents have fewer tenancy rights than those living in the private rental sector in Vancouver – either by law or in practice.

Unsurprisingly, this housing sector is notorious for its unsafe infrastructure, limited tenancy rights, and surveillance over residents. Transitional and temporary housing are at the bottom of the tenancy rights ladder, while supportive housing rights have become murkier in light of recent legal challenges…