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The city of Vancouver took the first step to take control of the infamous Balmoral and Regent hotels by filing a notice of expropriation for both.
"Given this mismanagement and critical housing shortage for low-income residents in Vancouver, the city is now taking steps to acquire direct ownership of both properties in order to provide housing in the area. Downtown Eastside, "reads in a press release of the city
. In 1965, the city forced the closure of the Balmoral in June 2017, fearing that the building would collapse due to poor maintenance and structural deterioration.
The Regent was deemed uninhabitable in June of this year due to serious security concerns.
More than 300 people who lived in hotels for single use had to be relocated.
The two buildings belong to the Sahota family.
The release adds: "Despite years of law enforcement efforts by the city and hundreds of regulatory infractions, the owners have not done so the basic investments needed to maintain security and an acceptable standard of living for the tenants of these two buildings. "
A room filled with garbage at the Balmoral Hotel (Tina Lovgreen / CBC )
City staff had approached the Sahotas with offers to purchase both hotels but these had been rejected
. expropriation process could take
Once the Sahotas have been served with the notice, they will have 30 days to request in investigation. The business will then be submitted to City Council and, if approved, the buildings will be purchased on the basis of an independent appraisal, with a period of one year to negotiate the payment.
Residents described the smell of electrical rooms in the Balmoral Hotel as "the closest you can get to the smell of a dead person without a body." (Tina Lovgreen / CBC)
According to the release, the purchase of hotels aligns with local, provincial and federal strategies to improve "The public ownership of Balmoral and Regent hotels will help protect Significant low-income housing in the Downtown Eastside and could help achieve long-standing goals in replacing single-occupancy hotels by self-contained social housing, "reads the release.
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