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The Lucky Lodge. In April, Pivot
successfully convinced the business license panel to
grant the residents standing.
In the case of a residential
hotel or lodging house, this order results in the eviction
of the residents and the closure of the building, unless
another license applicant makes an application to operate
the business.
The Marr Hotel in Vancouver,
which has been vacant since the City pulled that location's
operating license in 2005, is a good example of what
happens when licenses are refused.
New precedent set
as tenants have say
Residents of the Lucky Lodge
asked Pivot to represent them in an attempt to get "standing"
or the opportunity to present evidence and arguments
at the license hearing.
In April, Pivot successfully
convinced the business license panel to grant the residents
standing. This was the first time ever that anyone other
than a business license holder has been granted standing
at one of these hearings, and set an important precedent.
The tenants were granted "partial standing"
which will allow Pivot, on behalf of the tenants, to
present arguments about what conditions, if any, should
be placed on the license, and why these conditions should
be placed.
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IN NUMBERS
Net losses 2003-2006:
514 low-income housing units
in Vancouver's downtown core lost from June 2003
to June 2005
295 low-income housing units
lost since June 2005
Projected gains 2006-2009
(not including losses)
172 new low-income housing units
created by 2007
125 new low-income single housing
units for people in the Woodward’s building,
available in 2009. 100 units will accommodate
singles in "deep core need" (on welfare)
The official City of Vancouver target
for creation of low-income housing is 800 units
per year.
View
Vancouver Low-income Housing Survey [PDF 207 KB] |
The hearings were held on
May 2 and May 25. While the tenants recognized that
the Lucky Lodge has serious problems, they presented
arguments that the City can deal with these problems
without closing the hotel. However, the tenants also
argued that if the City did close the hotel, it must
make provisions for the tenants to ensure they have
somewhere to live.
Guest fees
Pivot achieved a victory
in a related issue of the Lucky Lodge Hotel charging
$10-per-visit guest fees, on May 17. In March tenant
Michael Whitehead had applied for an order that the
landlord stop restricting access to guests, and stop
charging guest fees, to which they responded with threats
of eviction.
Continued...
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