BC Housing announced this week that it has purchased the Burns Block building at 18 West Hastings Street to provide supportive housing for women experiencing homelessness.

17 studio units will be available for women in need right away, with supports provided, including counselling, recovery programs, primary health care, and transitional skills development programs. The building could ultimately provide 30 supportive homes for women.

“Housing is about so much more than just a roof over a head. In this case, it’s about the services and supports that can help women leave behind substance use and chart a path toward health and healing,” Vancouver Mayor Kennedy Stewart said. “Projects like this one at Burns Block show what we can accomplish when we have a government that makes real investments in supporting the lives of neighbours who for too long have been pushed to the sidelines.”

Burns Block is just one of several recent supportive housing investments by the provincial government and the City of Vancouver. Mayor Stewart looks forward to continuing this successful partnership that has provided nearly 1,000 homes and support to people made vulnerable and unsheltered residents.

For more information, you can read the full provincial press release here