Dow
wntow
wn Easstside
e
LOCAL
L
AREA PROFIL
P
E 2013
3
Ch
hinatown
n
Gastown
n
Industria
al
Oppe
enheimer
a
Strathcona
k
Thorn
nton Park
e
Victorry Square
A joint publication between:
City of Vancouver Community Services – Social Development, Social Policy
City of Vancouver Planning and Development Services – Central Area Planning, Downtown Eastside Group
Comments and inquiries concerning this publication may be directed to:
City of Vancouver
453 West 12th Avenue
Vancouver BC V5Y 1V4
Telephone: 3-1-1
Last Updated: November 7, 2013
T
Table of Contents
IIntroduction ........................................................... 2 F
Framework: A Healthy City fo
or All ............................... 4 1
1. Toward Healthy People ......................................... 5 Demographicss ....................................................... 5 Population Characteristicss ........................................ 5 2011).................................. 6 Population Growth (2001–2
G
Profile ............................................ 6 Age and Gender
Language Spoken at Home
e ........................................ 8 Immigration .......................................................... 9 1 Aboriginal Identity ................................................. 10
1.1 Making En
nds Meet.............................................11 Income ................................................................ 12
1 Social Asssistance ................................................... 13
1 Volunteerring ........................................................ 13
1 1.2 Working Well
W ..................................................14 Employme
ent Sectors ............................................... 14
1 Informal Economy
E
.................................................. 15
1 Social Entterprise ................................................... 16
1 1.3 Feeding Ourselves
O
Well ......................................17 Food Insec
curity and Purcha
asing Power ........................ 17
1 Free and Low Cost Meals .......................................... 19
1 ets.......................................................... 20
2 Food Asse
Food Reta
ail .......................................................... 21
2 1.4 A Home fo
or Everyone ........................................23 2
Tenure ................................................................ 23
2 Housing Types
T
...................................................... 24
2 Single Roo
om Occupancy Bu
uildings (SROs)...................... 25
2 Non-mark
ket housing ............................................... 26
2 1.5 Health an
nd Social Service
es ..................................27 2
Health Ou
utcomes ................................................... 27
2 Health and Social Servicess ....................................... 28
2 Communitty Centres ................................................ 30
3 Basic Needs ......................................................... 31
3 D
Downtown Eastside
e Profile 2013
Grants and Sociaal Purpose Real E
Estate ........................ 32 1.6 A Good Start... ................................................ 34 Child Poverty ........................................................ 34 Early Developmeent Instrument .................................. 35 Childcare ............................................................. 36 Schools ............................................................... 37 1.7 Learning for Liffe .............................................. 38 Formal Educatioon .................................................. 38 Learning Resourrces ................................................ 39 Aboriginal Focussed Learning ..................................... 40 C
Connecctions ......................................... 41 1.8 Critical
Household Struccture .............................................. 41 Mobility ............................................................... 42 1.9 Being and Feeliing Safe ...................................... 43 Women’s Safetyy .................................................... 43 General Safety ...................................................... 44 Infrastructure a nd Facilities ..................................... 45 Reported Crime .................................................... 46 1.10
0 Expressing Ou rselves ....................................... 47 Artist Populationn ................................................... 47 Cultural Assets ...................................................... 49 Neighbourhood C
Change and the A
Arts .......................... 50 Public Art ............................................................ 51 1.11 Getting Outsid
de ............................................. 52 Parks .................................................................. 53 1.12
2 Being Active.. ................................................ 54 Recreation and Gathering Space ............................... 54 1.13
3 Getting Arounnd .............................................. 55 Journey to Workk ................................................... 55 Walking ............................................................... 56 Cycling................................................................ 57 Local Transit......................................................... 58 Commercial Traansportation ...................................... 59 Areas of Concerrn................................................... 59 Page i
Pedestrian and Cyclist Collisions ............................... 60
6 2
2. Toward Healthy Communitties ............................... 61 6
6
2.1 In the Neiighbourhood ........................................61 2.2 Out and About............
A
.....................................62 6
Library an
nd Community Ce
entre Use ............................ 62
6 2.3 Across the
e City ................................................63 6
3
3. Toward Healthy Environme
ents............................... 64 6
Neighbourrhood Change ............................................ 64
6 3.1 A Thriving
g Economic Environment .........................66 6
Key Econo
omic Sectors ............................................. 66
6 Change in
n Economic Sectors ..................................... 67
6 Economic Development ........................................... 68
6 Change in
n Property Valuess ....................................... 70
7 Business Improvement Associations ............................ 71
7 3.2 A Sustaina
able Natural Environment ........................72 7
3.3 A Well-Pla
anned Built Env
vironment .........................73 7
Land Use .....................
.
........................................ 73
7 Sub-Area Zoning and Allow
wed Uses ............................. 75
7 H
.................................................... 78
7 Building Heights
Building Floor
F
Space ............................................... 79
7 Heritage and
a Culture .............................................. 80
8 3.4 A Vibrant Social Environm
ment...............................82 8
P
Page ii
ndix A: Vulneraable Population
ns in the Downttown
Appen
Eastsid
de ............... ............................................... 84 Women ............................................................... 84 Children and Yoouth ................................................ 85 Seniors ................................................................ 86 Aboriginal Peoplle .................................................. 87 New Immigrantss .................................................... 87 Lesbian, Gay, Biisexual, Transgen
nder, Queer and Questioning
(LGBTQ) Peoplee .................................................... 87 Low Income Singgles ................................................ 88 Low Income Fam
milies .............................................. 88 Renters ............................................................... 89 Single Room Occcupancy (SRO) Te
enants ....................... 89 Homeless Peoplee ................................................... 90 People with Disaabilities ........................................... 90 People affectedd by Mental Illnesss .............................. 90 Drug Users ........................................................... 91 Survival Sex Worrkers .............................................. 91 Glossa
ary ............... ............................................... 92 Refere
ences and Furtther Reading ............................... 95 M
Maps, Figu
ures and Ta
ables
Downtown Eastside
E
Local Pla
anning Area .......................... 1 IIntroduction ........................................................... 2 F
Framework: A Healthy City fo
or All ............................... 4 Building Bloc
cks of a Healthy City for All........................... 4 1
1. Toward Healthy People ......................................... 5 Demographicss ....................................................... 5 Population Growth,
G
2001-201
11...................................... 6 Age and Gen
nder Profile by Su
ubarea, 2006 ........................ 7 Language Mo
ost Commonly Sp
poken at Home byy Subarea, 2006 . 8 Immigration Status by Subare
ea, 2006 .............................. 9 dentity by Subare
ea, 2006 ............................. 10
1 Aboriginal Id
1.1 Making En
nds Meet.............................................11 Prevalence of
o Low Income Sttatus by Subarea,, 2005 ........... 11
1 Median Houssehold Income by
y Subarea, 2000 and
a 2005 ........ 12
1 Total cases for
f three welfare
e offices serving V6A,
V
March 2013
............................................................................ 13
1 1.2 Working Well
W ..................................................14 Employmentt by Economic Se
ector, 2012. ......................... 14
1 Employmentt Profile of Downtown Eastside Re
esidents by
Subarea, 200
06 ......................................................... 15
1 Employmentt Services and Selected Social Entterprises, 2012 . 16
1 1.3 Feeding Ourselves
O
Well ......................................17 Illustration of
o Food Purchasin
ng Power for a So
ocial Assistance
Recipient ................................................................ 17
1 Illustration of
o Populations att Risk of Food Inse
ecurity .......... 18
1 Free and Low
w-Cost Meals, 20
011 .................................... 19
1 Food Educattion and Training Resources, 2012
2 .................. 20
2 Food Service
e and Retail Busin
ness Licenses, 20
013 ............... 21
2 Estimated Population 5-Minu
ute Walking Distance from Produce
e
.
........................................ 22
2 Store, 2011 .....................
1.4 A Home fo
or Everyone ........................................23 2
Housing Ten
nure by Subarea, 2006 ................................. 23
2 D
Downtown Eastside
e Profile 2013
Ho
ousing Types, 20006 ................................................. 24 Ho
ousing Mix, 2011 .................................................... 24 Single-Room Occuppancy Hotels, 2012 ............................ 25 on-Market Housinng, 2012 .......................................... 26 No
1.5 Health and Sociial Services .................................. 27 Se
elected Health Ouutcomes and Acccess Indicators .............. 27 Se
elected Health Seervices, 2013..................................... 28 Co
ommunity and Soocial Services, 20
008 ............................ 29 Do
owntown Eastsidee Community Cen
ntres Services an
nd
Po
opulations Servedd, 2012............................................ 30 Do
owntown Eastsidee Toilets, Drinkin
ng Fountains and Showers,
20
012...................................................................... 31 Drrinking Fountainss, 2012 ............................................ 31 Ciity of Vancouver Community Services Grants, 2011
1 .......... 32 So
ocial Purpose Reaal Estate, 2012 .................................. 33 1.6 A Good Start... ................................................ 34 Affter-Tax Low Incoome Children Und
der 6 by Subarea
a, 2005 ... 34 Ea
arly Developmentt Instrument Vuln
nerability, 2011-2
2012 ..... 35 Ch
hildcare Program
ms and Schools, 20
012 ........................... 37 Scchool Demographhics, Enrollment a
and Programs, 20
012 ....... 37 1.7 Learning for Liffe .............................................. 38 Hiighest Formal Ed ucational Certificcate by Subarea, 2006 .... 38 Pu
ublic Post-Seconddary Institutions, 2012 ........................ 38 Ad
dult Continuing EEducation Resourrces, 2012 ................... 39 Ab
boriginal Educati on Resources, 20
012............................ 40 1.8 Critical
C
Connecctions ......................................... 41 Prrivate Household Size by Subarea, 2006........................ 41 Le
ength of Time at Current Address by Subarea, 200
06 ......... 42 1.9 Being and Feeliing Safe ...................................... 43 Pu
ublic Phones, 20112 .................................................. 44 Po
olice, Emergencyy Response and Ju
ustice System Faccility
Lo
ocations, 2012 ........................................................ 45 Re
eported Crime Inncidences, 2006-2
2011 .......................... 46 1.10
0 Expressing Ou rselves ....................................... 47 Page iii
Employmentt in Arts and Cultture, 2006 ........................... 47
4 Non-Profit Cultural
C
Assets, 2013................................... 49
4 Community-Identified Culturral Spaces Serving
g the Low Income
e
5 Community, 2012 ..................................................... 50
2
....................................................... 51
5 Public Art, 2012
1.11 Getting Outside .............................................52 5
Parks and Green Space Provision and Proximity, 2011 ......... 53
5 1.12 Being Ac
ctive..................................................54 5
Community Recreation and Gathering
G
Spaces, 2012 ........... 54
5 1.13 Getting Around
A
..............................................55 5
Usual Mode of Travel to Work, 2006 .............................. 55
5 S
and Crossw
walks, 2013 ......................... 57
5 Pedestrian Signals
Bikeway Nettwork, 2012 .............................................. 57
5 Frequent Lo
ocal Transit Network, 2012 ........................... 58
5 Pedestrian and
a Cyclist-Involv
ved Collisions, 20
005-2010 ......... 60
6 2
2. Toward Healthy Communitties ............................... 61 6
6
2.1 In the Neiighbourhood ........................................61 2.2 Out and About............
A
.....................................62 6
Libraries and
d Community Cen
ntres Select Usag
ge Indicators,
2006-2010 ............................................................... 62
6 2.3 Across the
e City ................................................63 6
Voter Turnout in Recent Elec
ctions, 2009-2011
1 .................. 64
6 3
3. Toward Healthy Environme
ents............................... 64 6
g Economic Environment .........................66 6
3.1 A Thriving
Number of Business
B
Licenses by Type in the DTES,
D
2011 ...... 67
6 Property Asssessment Change, 2001-2011 ........................ 70
7 Business Imp
provement Areas, 2013 ............................... 71
7 3.2 A Sustaina
able Natural Environment ........................72 7
3.3 A Well-Pla
anned Built Env
vironment .........................73 7
Land use by type in the Downtown Eastside, 2012
2
............. 73
7 Generalized Land Use, 2011........................................ 74
7 uilding Heights and Floor Space Ratios,
R
by Zoning
Allowable Bu
District ................................................................... 75
7 Zoning Distrricts, 2012 ................................................ 77
7 Building Heights, 2012 ............................................... 78
7 ntial and Residential Floor Space, 2001 and 2011 79
7 Non-Residen
Heritage Buiildings, 2013 ............................................. 81
8 P
Page iv
3.4 A Vibrant Sociaal Environment .............................. 82 Im
mportant Communnity Places and SSpaces Identified in Social
Im
mpact Assessmentt Public Input Pro
ocess, 2012 ................. 83 Appen
ndix A: Vulneraable Population
ns in the Downttown
Eastsid
de ............... ............................................... 84 Glossa
ary ............... ............................................... 92 Refere
ences and Furtther Reading ............................... 95 Downtown Eastside Local Planning Area
D
Downtown Eastside
e Profile 2013
Page 1
Introduction
T
The Downtown Eastside, also called
c
“Q’umq’umal’ay,” is on
ne of Vancouverr’s oldest neighb
bourhoods and the historic hea
art of the
ccity. It has a div
verse, mixed an
nd predominanttly low income1 population livin
ng in a neighboourhood rich in h
history and stro
ongly
cconnected to its founding Aborriginal communities, including the Musqueam and Squamish FFirst Nations. Japanese, Chine
ese and
o
other cultural groups
g
also have
e early ties to the neighbourho
ood. The unique
eness of Downtoown Eastside ste
ems from the e
early
ssettlements in the
t areas of Gastown, Powell Street
S
(Japanto
own), Oppenheimer, Chinatownn and Strathcon
na. The neighbo
ourhood
h
has many assetss, critical for lo
ow income resid
dents. Residentss value the sensse of belonging and feelings off acceptance exxperienced
iin the Downtow
wn Eastside; the
e rich diversity of
o Downtown Ea
astside commun
nities linked to their strong culltural heritage; and
a
access to health
h and social serrvices.
T
The Downtown Eastside struggles with many complex
c
challen
nges including homelessness,
h
p
poverty, afforda
able and qualityy housing,
u
unemployment,, mental health, drug use and crime.
c
There arre many vulnera
able groups livi ng in the Downtown Eastside, and the
rrapid changes occurring
o
in the area are placin
ng increased pre
essure on these
e groups. Rising rental rates an
nd displacementt as
rrenovations of older
o
buildings take place are among the facttors contributing to perceptionns of pressure on vulnerable re
esidents.
M
Many jobs are lo
ocated in the Downtown
D
Eastsiide, but relatively few of them
m are held by arrea residents. T
The high level o
of
a
accessibility to transit servicess and proximity to Downtown is attractive to new emerging b
business venturres and developers
sseeking to meett the demand fo
or affordable co
ommercial prem
mises and middlle to upper incoome accommodation near the core of
tthe city. These fundamental diifferences go to
o the heart of the complicated
d issues facing D
Downtown Eastsside Local Area Planning.
A
As the Pivot Leg
gal Society putss it, “Vancouverr—the most liva
able city in the world,
w
in one oof the most peacceful and wealtthy
ccountries in the
e world—is a key
y trendsetter. How
H
we addresss the social prob
blems represen ted by the Dow
wntown Eastside
e—one of
tthe most concentrated districtts of poverty, illness and addic
ction in the world—could set thhe bar for globa
al best practicess.”2
F
From a City planning point of view,
v
the Downtown Eastside is a specially de
efined boundaryy that straddless the boundariess of two of
V
Vancouver’s 22 local areas: Do
owntown and Strathcona. The neighbourhood’
n
’s unique social , economic and
d geographical ccontext
a
and the particular challenges it
i faces have led
d to the develo
opment of this lo
ocal planning aarea. The Downttown Eastside iss further
b
broken down into sub-areas, re
eflecting differe
ences in charac
cter, population
n, built form an d land use. The
ese sub-areas arre not
1
The Downtown Eastside Local Arrea Planning Proc
cess (LAPP) termss of reference de
efines "low incom
me" as follows: “L
Low income” is brroadly
d
defined by the Ciity of Vancouver as those who are
e living under the
e low income cut off line (LICO). IIn the Downtown
n Eastside, and fo
or the
p
purpose of the LA
APP, the definitio
on of “low Income” will be for ressidents who depe
end on Income Asssistance, Old Age Pension, part-ttime
m
minimum wage, informal
i
and unre
egulated labour, and volunteer work
w
to survive. “Low Income” peoople in the DTES subsist well belo
ow the
ccity’s low income
e cut-off line and
d the Canadian po
overty line. The exact
e
number of low income residdents is unknown
n. According to th
he 2006
C
Census, 53 per ce
ent of the residen
nts in the Downto
own Eastside (mo
ore than 8,500 pe
eople) have afterr tax incomes bellow the LICO.
2
John Richardson
n, Pivot Legal Soc
ciety, “Heart of the
t City”.
P
Page 2
definitive or the only way to identify different spaces; they are simply a planning tool used to identify key characteristics of
different parts of the Downtown Eastside neighbourhood.
This profile provides baseline information for the Downtown Eastside, to help the community engage with current and upcoming
plans and projects in the area. It builds on the 2012 Local Area Profile by adding maps, updated information and more research.
Data have been gathered from a variety of sources including Statistics Canada’s Census of Population, the City of Vancouver,
non-profit service providers and, in some cases, primary research shared by low income community members.
Using census data in the Downtown Eastside poses particular challenges. First, only limited population information is available
from the 2011 Census of Population and National Household Survey3, so 2006 data continue to be used throughout this document
in most cases. It had been hoped that some updated data would be available, but this appears unlikely, particularly at the
sub-area level. Second, notwithstanding the changes made to the 2011 Census, there are longstanding challenges with the
reliability and completeness of census data in the Downtown Eastside, particularly for marginalized and transient populations that
are often undercounted. As door-to-door enumeration and paper questionnaires have been diminished in favour of mailed
notifications and online questionnaires, some people in the Downtown Eastside have likely not been included in census data.
Finally, data at the sub-area level is not always reliable due to small sample sizes and suppression of data.4 However, despite
these limitations, the census remains the most comprehensive and reliable information available.
This profile is not a complete—or completely accurate—picture of the Downtown Eastside. The information needed to understand
aspects of this community may not be available, and the quality of data that are available varies significantly. While all
information presented in this document is believed to be as accurate as possible, there remains the possibility of errors, omissions
and differences in interpretation or analysis. This should be considered a “living draft” document; it is intended to serve as a
beginning, not end, of understanding the people, places and issues facing the complex communities that make up Vancouver’s
Downtown Eastside.
3
The 2011 Census was conducted differently than previous censuses, with the former mandatory long-form questionnaire replaced with an
optional survey. At the time of this writing, only partial information is available from the 2011 National Household Survey, and the impacts on
data quality are not yet known.
4
Statistics Canada is mandated not to report any information which might identify individual respondents; as such, data are always rounded
and may be suppressed in areas of small population or low response rates. Note also that census data dissemination boundaries for sub-areas
may differ slightly from the planning boundaries.
Downtown Eastside Profile 2013
Page 3
Framework: A Healthy City
C
for Alll
Building Blocks of a Healthy City for All
The City of Vancouver
V
is deeveloping a Hea
althy City Strate
egy as the
third compo
onent of our oveerall plan for su
ustainability. Th
his
long-term, comprehensive
c
strategy for soccial development will be
based on the
e understandingg that the cond
ditions in which we are
born, grow up,
u play, learn,, love, work, an
nd age largely d
determine
our health and
a well-being aat different stages throughout our lives.
The intercon
nnected and intterdependent n
nature of these broad
determinantts of health and
d well-being are
e illustrated at left: the
building blocks of a healthyy city for all.
What does a healthy city foor all look like? We know that the
healthiest cities pay attenttion to the heallth of their resid
dents, to
o their neighboourhoods, and to
o the health of the planet
the health of
that we’re all
a living on toggether. That me
eans that at the
e most
basic level we
w all need a goood start in life
e, a place we ca
an call
home, enough money to geet by, access to nutritious food
d, a strong
ort network, a ssense of safety, and plenty of
social suppo
opportunitie
es for working, playing, and liffelong learning.. So, we
need to take
e care of the baasics.
But, healthyy cities also havve places and sp
paces that cultiivate
belonging, inclusion, conneectedness and e
engagement, an
nd they
have a well--planned built eenvironment, a sustainable nattural
environment, a thriving ecoonomic environ
nment and a vib
brant social
ple can live, wo
ork and play.
environment in which peop
B
Building a healtthy city for all means
m
creating the conditions in which we can all thrive, nott merely survive
e, in every
n
neighbourhood.. We know that some of the wo
orst health ineq
quities in our city—avoidable innequalities in health between groups of
p
people—are fou
und in the Down
ntown Eastside. We are using the 20 building blocks
b
as a wayy to present info
ormation in thiss document
tto help ensure that
t
planning an
nd monitoring that
t
is holistic and
a comprehenssive, with the ooverall goal of a
achieving a healthy city
ffor all, including the city’s most vulnerable re
esidents.
P
Page 4
1. Toward
d Healthy People
P
D
Demographics
W
Who lives in the
e Downtown Easstside (DTES)? This
T
section con
ntains some basiic data on the p
people making up this commun
nity and
e
explores some of
o the vulnerabiilities and challlenges they face
e. The purpose of this section is to clarify and
d dispel traditio
onal
sstereotypes com
mmonly associatted with vulnerrable people, an
nd to identify th
hose for whom special care an
nd attention mu
ust be paid
tto achieve a mo
ore healthy and equitable neighbourhood for all
a peoples.
P
Population Ch
haracteristicss
T
The DTES is one
e of Vancouver’s oldest neighbourhoods, with the historic he
eart of the city llocated on land
d considered by the
ccommunities as unceded territtory of the Coasst Salish Nationss and the urban
n home of First Nations Aborigiinal communitie
es for
m
many generatio
ons. The area is also home to th
he immigrant communities of Chinese
C
and Jap
panese Canadia
ans and other cu
ultural
ggroups, includin
ng those with Affrican, Asian, European, British, Scandinavian
n and South Ameerican heritage
e. While many o
of the
p
population are largely considerred low income
e, there are also
o working poor, moderate incoome and middle
e income familie
es and
ssingles living in a diverse mix of
o accommodatiion in seven diffferent neighbourhoods.
M
Many groups in the DTES are co
onsidered vulne
erable because they experience greater risk tto health and we
ellbeing than th
he
p
population as a whole. These groups
g
include women,
w
childre
en and youth, ho
omeless, seniorrs, Lesbian, Gayy, Bisexual, Transgender
a
and Queer (LGB
BTQ) residents, low income singles and familie
es, sex workers, drug users and
d people with d
disabilities or m
mental
iillness. Some off the vulnerabilities and challe
enges experienc
ced by these gro
oups include pooverty, safety, a
adequate and afffordable
a
accommodation
n, unemploymen
nt, poor nutritio
on, poor health
h, a poor sense of
o self-esteem, a lack of wellb
being and conne
ectedness
a
and dependency
y on social serv
vices and charityy. More detail about
a
specific vulnerabilities
v
faaced by these ggroups may be ffound in
A
Appendix A of this
t
document.
D
Downtown Eastside
e Profile 2013
Page 5
P
Population Grrowth (2001–2
2011)
B
Between 2001 and
a 2011, the to
otal population of the Downtow
wn
E
Eastside (18,477
7) grew slightly
y faster than the
e population of the city
a
as a whole, though the rate of growth has slow
wed since 2006
6.
G
Growth has bee
en influenced by
y the provision of new accomm
modation,
iincluding the re
enovation and re
eplacement of older housing and
a hotel
sstock with new apartments and
d condominiums; and the deve
elopment
o
of sites that had
d been vacant, such as the Wo
oodward’s proje
ect.
C
Continued repla
acement of olde
er buildings cou
uld maintain the
e recent
ggrowth rate (12
2.7 per cent from
m 2001 to 2011); if so, the 201
11
p
population of 18
8,500 could rea
ach approximate
ely 25,000 by 20
0415.
Population Growth, 2001-2011
A
Age and Gend
der Profile
T
The concentratiion of males in the Downtown Eastside is strik
kingly differentt from other areeas of Vancouve
er, which has significant
iimplications forr planning and facilities
f
provisiion in the future
e. The gender split
s
in the Dow
wntown Eastside
e has remained stable
((approximately 60 per cent ma
ale and 40 per cent
c
female6) siince 2001. Base
ed on 2006 data shown on the m
map below, Vicctory
SSquare and Thornton Park have
e the highest prroportional malle population, while
w
Strathconaa is closer to th
he city as a who
ole.
IIn 2006, just ov
ver half of Down
ntown Eastside residents were over 45 years of
o age. There iss a high percenttage of seniors ((65+)
ccompared to the city as a whole. The Downto
own Eastside has a relatively lo
ow percentage oof children (2 p
per cent) and yo
outh
((8 per cent), ab
bout half the cittywide percenta
age. The relativvely small propo
ortion of youngg people and the
e high concentrration of
sseniors need to be considered when planning for future need
ds, services and
d amenities in thhe Downtown E
Eastside.
5
City of Vancouv
ver. Research and
d Data Services. 2012.
2
Growth ratte is dependent on
o construction oof new homes and
d replacement off aging
SSingle Room Occu
upancy (SRO) residences.
6
The census quesstionnaire does not
n allow respond
dents to indicate a full representa
ation of their gennder identity. Peo
ople are not provvided with
o
options to indicatte having transitiioned from male to female or fem
male to male; add
ditionally, there are no options to
o identify outside
e of
d
dichotomous “ma
ale” and “female
e” categories, or identify with botth “male” and “female”. The usee of gender statisttics from census data is not
m
meant to be exclusive or normativ
ve, but more inclusive data are not available from
m this source at tthis time.
P
Page 6
Age and Gender Profile by Subarea, 2006
D
Downtown Eastside
e Profile 2013
Page 7
L
Language Spo
oken at Home
T
The majority (6
64 per cent) of Downtown
D
Eastsside residents speak
s
English ass their main hom
me language. Chinese (includin
ng both
M
Mandarin and Cantonese) is the
e next most spo
oken home lang
guage. Strathcon
na has a large C
Chinese-speakin
ng population (4
45 per
ccent), which is proportionally even
e
larger than that of Chinatown.
Language Most Commonly Spoken at Home by Subarea, 2006
P
Page 8
IImmigration
T
The Downtown Eastside has proportionately fe
ewer immigrantts than the Cityy of Vancouver aas a whole. How
wever, the distribution of
iimmigrant and non-immigrant
n
populations witthin the Downto
own Eastside is highly uneven. Strathcona and
d Chinatown ha
ave a large
iimmigrant popu
ulation while the population in the other sub-areas is much lo
ower. Between 1996 and 2006
6, the absolute n
number of
p
people born outtside Canada de
ecreased by 6 per
p cent, while across
a
the City of Vancouver t he number decreased by 3 perr cent.
Immigration Status by Subarea, 2006
IIn 2006, the Dow
wntown Eastsid
de had a slightlyy lower proportiion of both tota
al immigrants (339 per cent vs. 46 per cent) an
nd recent
iimmigrants (15 per cent of imm
migrants arrived
d from 2001 to 2006 vs. 17 perr cent) than thee City of Vancou
uver as a whole. The
llargest proportiion of recent im
mmigrants, 16 per cent, is in Ch
hinatown.7 New
w immigrants in the Downtown Eastside overw
whelmingly
ccome from Chin
na: 74 per cent of immigrants who
w arrived fro
om 2001 to 2006
6 came from Chhina.8 Newcome
ers often strugglle to enter
tthe job market and find afford
dable housing.
7
8
Census, 2006.
Census, 2006.
D
Downtown Eastside
e Profile 2013
Page 9
A
Aboriginal Ide
entity
T
The Downtown Eastside has a much
m
higher pro
oportion of Abo
original people than
t
the city ass a whole. Aborriginal identity iincludes
p
people of First Nations, Métis or
o Inuit identityy. Persons with Aboriginal iden
ntity represent m
many different First Nations frrom across
C
Canada.
Aboriginal Identity by Subarea, 2006
P
Page 10
1.1 Making
g Ends Mee
et
M
Measuring low income and pov
verty is challeng
ging. An imperfe
ect measure, bu
ut one that is cconsistently app
plied and compa
arable
a
across geograph
hies, is the afte
er-tax low incom
me cut-off (LICO
O).9 Using the LIICO shows that Metro Vancouvver consistently has a
rrelatively high proportion
p
of its population be
elow the LICO.100 In this contextt, the Downtow
wn Eastside is an
n extreme case;; the most
rrecent available
e census data sh
hows that it hass one of the low
west per capita incomes of anyy urban area in Canada. In 2005, 53 per
ccent of its resid
dents were conssidered low inco
ome after tax.111
Prevalence of Low Income Status by Subarea, 2005
9
The LICO varies by community siize and family sizze, and is a relattive measure iden
ntifying families oor individuals wh
ho spend 20 perce
entage
p
points more than average on a ba
asket of basic hou
usehold goods, ba
ased on a survey conducted in 19992.
1
10
Statistics Canada, CANSIM table
e 202-0802,Persons in Low Income
e Families. In 201
11, 13.6 per centt of persons in Me
etro Vancouver w
were in low
iincome families, the highest of major
m
census metrropolitan areas re
eported.
1
11
Statistics Canada, 2006 Long-Fo
orm Census. Prevvalence of low inc
come shows the proportion
p
of peoople living below
w the low income cut-off
w
within a given gro
oup.
D
Downtown Eastside
e Profile 2013
Page 11
IIncome
A
As of 2005, the median income
e for private households in the Downtown Eastside was $13,6691, up from $12,083 in 2000. Median
iincome change was the same in Vancouver an
nd the Downtow
wn Eastside betw
ween 2000 and 2005 (13 per ce
ent increase). H
However,
cchanges in median income variied considerablyy by sub-area. The
T largest incrrease in incomee was experiencced in Chinatow
wn
((44 per cent inc
crease) and Victtory Square (31 per cent increa
ase), while med
dian incomes sliightly decrease
ed in the Industrrial area
((10 per cent decrease) and Gasstown (2 per ce
ent decrease).
Median Household Income by Subarea, 2000 and 2005
P
Page 12
Social Assistance
Welfare office12 catchment areas are organized according to Canada Post mail forward sortation areas (FSAs), which are the first
three digits in a client’s postal code. Most of the Downtown Eastside falls into V6A, which extends from Carrall Street to Clark
Drive and from Burrard Inlet to Great Northern Way. However, some residents live in the V6B postal area, which also covers the
downtown core, Downtown South and portions of Yaletown and False Creek.
In March 2013, there were 6,339 cases of social assistance in V6A, seen in the table below. 13
Total cases for three welfare offices serving V6A, March 2013
Type
Cases
Expected
to Work
1,461
Expected to
Work – Medical
Condition
115
Medical
Services Only
772
Old Age
Security
15
Persons with
Persistent
Multiple
Barriers
676
Persons with
Disabilities
3,193
Total14
6,339
The shelter component for a single, employable person on income assistance (temporary assistance) is $375 and $235 for all other
expenses.15 Social assistance is further discussed in sections 1.3 and 1.4.
Volunteering
Many residents in the DTES volunteer at service agencies and community centres, such as the Carnegie Centre. In 2013, 2,075
volunteers contributed to 29 organizations funded by the City of Vancouver, giving 108,955 hours of their time.16 This volunteer
work is an important part of the survival economy and helps residents make ends meet as well as contribute to their community.
Some volunteer opportunities provide food and training in return for hours worked. Additionally, eligible volunteers may be
provided with a community volunteer supplement through the Ministry of Social Development’s Community Volunteer Program.
12
Welfare offices are sorted by surname:
Dockside office: V6B, V6A
Alpha: A to G
Kiwassa office: V6B, V6A
Alpha: H to M
Strathcona:
V6B, V6A
Alpha: N to Z
13
Ministry of Social Development, March 2013.
14
Includes: child in home of relative, expected to work, expected to work (medical condition), long term care, medical services only, no
employment options, old age security, persons with persistent multiple barriers and persons with disabilities.
15
Income assistance effective June 1, 2007
16
Social Policy, City of Vancouver, 2012. Based on self-reporting by organizations that the City of Vancouver funds through Community Services
grant programs.
Downtown Eastside Profile 2013
Page 13
1.2 Workin
ng Well
T
The proportion of Downtown Eastside
E
residents who are emp
ployed or lookin
ng for work is geenerally low compared to the city as a
w
whole. A significant proportion
n of Downtown Eastside residents are considered part of Vanncouver’s working poor, meaning
llow-paid workers living in low income situatio
ons. As a centra
ally located area
a with many job
bs, the majorityy of people worrking in
tthe Downtown Eastside
E
commu
ute from elsewh
here in the mettropolitan area. In 2002, an esttimated 13 per cent of people employed
iin the Downtow
wn Eastside were
e residents, witth the remaining 87 per cent of
o employees livving elsewhere.17
E
Employment Sectors
S
T
The number of people employe
ed in the Downttown Eastside appears
a
to have
e remained moree or less stable in the last 10 yyears.
T
There are appro
oximately 19,50
00 employees in
n the Downtown
n Eastside, work
king at total of 2,800 businesse
es.18
Employment by Economic Sector, 2012.
1
17
1
18
Messrs Ference
e Weicker, 2002.
Vancouver Economic Commissio
on, 2012.
P
Page 14
8
Agriculture, Forestry,
Finishing and Hunting
29
105
Management of
Companies and
Enterprises
Utilities
115
Mining, Quarrying, and
Oil and Gas Extraction
331
Construction
558
Educational Services
406
593
Finance and Insurance
Arts, Entertainment
and Recreation
615
Transportation and
Warehousing
868
Real Estate and
Leasing
1189
Health Care and Social
Assistance
1192
Wholesale Trade
1524
Public Administration
1401
1542
Administration and
Support and Waste
Management and…
Retail
Trade
R t il T
d
0
Professional Scientific
and Technical
500
Other Services (except
Public Administration)
1591
1759
Accommodation and
Food Services
Information and
Cultural Industries
1770
1000
Manufacturing
1500
2006
2
2000
2346
2
2500
T
The Census data
a, presented on
n the map below
w, shows the em
mployment occu
upations for Dow
wntown Eastsid
de residents, wh
hich are
sslightly differen
nt than the econ
nomic sectors lo
ocated in the Downtown
D
Eastsiide. According to the 2006 Cen
nsus, key occup
pation
ccategories for Downtown
D
Eastsside residents in
ncluded sales an
nd service; trad
des, transport aand equipment; business, finan
nce and
a
administration; and arts, cultu
ure, recreation and
a sport.
IInformal Econ
nomy
Employment Profile of Downtown Eastside Residents by Subarea, 2006
SSome Downtown
n Eastside resid
dents participate in the informal economy. Th
his includes actiivities such as b
binning, street vvending or
b
bartering. Altho
ough this economy has little fo
ormal recognitio
on, it provides an
a income for m
many people tha
at is essential to the
a
attainment of their basic need
ds.
D
Downtown Eastside
e Profile 2013
Page 15
SSocial Enterprise
SSocial enterprisses are businessses operated by non-profit orga
anizations to su
upport social deevelopment. Som
me social enterrprises that
e
employ Downtown Eastside ressidents are show
wn below.19 Peo
ople with barrie
ers to employmeent require add
ditional supports to find
w
work and naviga
ate their job on
nce employed. The
T Downtown Eastside is hom
me to employmeent services, wh
hich provide add
ditional
ssupports to peo
ople with barriers to employme
ent for findings work and navig
gating their job once employed
d.
Employment Services and Selected Social Enterprises, 2012
1
19
Vancouver Economic Commissio
on, 2011.
P
Page 16
1.3 Feedin
ng Ourselv
ves Well
M
Many low incom
me residents of the
t Downtown Eastside lack su
ufficient income
e to access basiic needs, includ
ding affordable,,
n
nutritional, safe
e and culturally
y-appropriate fo
ood, discussed further
f
in sectio
on 1.1.
T
The Downtown Eastside has the highest numb
ber of SRO residences in the citty. 20 SROs typiccally contain on
nly limited kitch
hen
ffacilities, limiting residents’ ab
bility to prepare or store theirr own food. Lack of food prepaaration facilitiess presents a cha
allenge for
llow income resiidents. This con
ntributes to a he
eavy reliance on charitable foo
od sources and on inexpensive
e highly processe
ed foods
llacking in nutrittional quality. These
T
barriers further
f
exacerb
bate difficulties faced by resideents in their ability to purchasse healthy
a
and affordable foods.
T
The Downtown Eastside has the highest conce
entration of free
e and charitable food in Vancoouver. Food inse
ecurity is a majjor issue
ffor many Downttown Eastside re
esidents.
F
Food Insecurity and Purcha
asing Power
T
The graphic at right
r
illustratess an example mo
onthly
b
budget for a sin
ngle male, aged 31-50, living in
n a private
SSRO and receiviing social assistance. As shown
n,
p
purchasing a he
ealthy basket off food21 is likelyy beyond
tthe means of th
his individual.
Illustration of Food Purchasing Power for a Social Assistan
nce Recipient
T
The graphic on the next page summarizes
s
som
me key
d
demographic indicators of food
d insecurity at the
t
p
population leve
el. This graphic is adapted from
m a 2006
p
paper prepared by Vancouver Coastal
C
Health, and is not
iintended to illustrate all of the
e factors that give rise to
ffood insecurity..
2
20
2
21
City of Vancouv
ver Housing, 2013. There are 5,49
97 units of SRO housing.
Healthy food basket costs adapted by Vancouver Coastal Health from Dieticians of
o Canada.
D
Downtown Eastside
e Profile 2013
Page 17
Illustration of Populations at Risk of Food Insecurity
P
Page 18
F
Free and Low
w Cost Meals
T
The map below illustrates agen
ncies providing free or low-cosst meals in 2011
1, as compiled b
by Vancouver C
Coastal Health. Locations
a
are self-reporte
ed by organizatiions; this map is not comprehe
ensive, and defiinitions of low-ccost meals varyy.
Free and Low-Cost Meals, 2011
D
Downtown Eastside
e Profile 2013
Page 19
F
Food Assets
F
Food assets in the
t Downtown Eastside
E
include
e urban agricultture, such as community gardeens, urban farmss and a community
o
orchard; and ca
apacity-building
g resources such
h as community kitchens and trraining program
ms. These are im
mportant neighb
bourhood
ggathering place
es that increase local food prod
duction; and pro
omote urban he
ealth, sustainab
bility, livability,, community bu
uilding,
iinter-generation
nal sharing and social interactiion. There are eight
e
food-prod
ducing gardens w
with approxima
ately 650 plots o
on City,
p
park, school and
d private lands in the Downtow
wn Eastside. SO
OLEFood, a non-profit organizattion that emplo
oys Downtown E
Eastside
rresidents in the
e local food secttor, operates tw
wo urban farm sites
s
in the Dow
wntown Eastsidee.
Food Education and Training Resources, 2012
P
Page 20
F
Food Retail
T
The map below illustrates food
d-related busine
esses located within
w
the Downtown Eastside p
planning bounda
aries. Note, how
wever,
tthat food busine
esses serving Do
owntown Eastside residents alsso exist outside
e the planning aarea.
Food Service and Retail Business Licenses, 2013
A result of genttrification in the
e Downtown Easstside is that ne
ew businesses are
a locating in tthe neighbourho
ood, many of w
which are
u
unaffordable to
o low income residents. Work iss ongoing to furrther research retail
r
affordabi lity for Downtown Eastside ressidents.
D
Downtown Eastside
e Profile 2013
Page 21
A
Access to fresh produce within
n walking distan
nce is fundamen
ntal for a nutritiious diet. Approoximately 83 pe
er cent of Down
ntown
E
Eastside residen
nts are believed
d to be within a five-minute wa
alk of a store se
elling produce, but not all of tthese stores are
e
a
affordable and accessible to alll members of the
t community. Food access re
emains a pressinng challenge in the Downtown Eastside.
Estimated Population 5-Minute Walking Distance from Produce Store, 2011
P
Page 22
1.4 A Hom
me for Everryone
A
As of the 2006 census,
c
average
e gross rent in the Downtown Eastside
E
was $47
77, compared tto $898 across tthe city. For ma
any
rresidents, the comparatively
c
lo
ow rental rates are still expenssive; half of Downtown Eastsid
de renters (51 p
per cent) paid m
more than
3
30 per cent or more
m
of their ho
ousehold income on shelter costs compared to
o 23 per cent inn Vancouver ove
erall.23
T
Tenure
T
The vast majoriity of Downtown
n Eastside dwelllings are rented
d. The lowest cost
c
rents in thee Downtown Easstside are found
d in the
SSRO stock; however, even thesse units are una
affordable for many
m
low income residents on ssocial assistancce.
Housing Tenure by Subarea, 2006
2
23
Census, 2006.
D
Downtown Eastside
e Profile 2013
Page 23
H
Housing Type
es
A
According to 20
006 census data, the most common housing
ttype in the Dow
wntown Eastside
e was apartmen
nts (almost 90 per
p
ccent), with the majority of uniits were in build
dings more than
n
ffive storeys talll. Variations in housing
h
types occur
o
across sub
ba
areas; for exam
mple, nearly 90 per cent of detached homes in
n
tthe Downtown Eastside
E
are fou
und in the Stratthcona sub-area
a.24
Housing Types, 2006
IIn 2011, there were
w
1,522 non--market SRO un
nits, all renting at
$
$375; and 3,975
5 privately owne
ed SROs, of whiich 27 per cent
((1,073) rent at $375. In 2011, the
t City of Vanc
couver’s LowIIncome Housing
g Survey found an
a average rentt of $416 for a
rroom in a privatte SRO residenc
ce in the Downttown Eastside.
T
The number of units being rented at the sheltter component of
w
welfare has bee
en declining.25



2
24
2
25
2
26
2
27
2
28
Housing Mix, 2011
Since De
ecember 2010, 200
2 units of sup
pportive housing
g
have bee
en completed, and 286 are und
der construction
and are expected to be
e completed by 2014. All units
2
will be rented
r
at $375.26
In 2012, there were 846
6 homeless people in the
Downtow
wn Eastside27—6
675 were shelte
ered and 171 we
ere
28
on the sttreet.
In 2011, there were 905
5 community ca
are facility bedss
in the Do
owntown Eastsiide for women, seniors, youth
and men
n. Many of these
e beds are locatted within non-market housing
h
or transsitional housing
g developments.
2006 Census. Note
N
that SROs arre not counted co
onsistently in cen
nsus data.
City of Vancouv
ver. Downtown Eastside
E
Key Houssing Facts, June 12,
1 2012.
Ibid.
City of Vancouv
ver Homeless Cou
unt, 2012.
City of Vancouv
ver. Downtown Eastside
E
Key Houssing Facts, June 12,
1 2012.
P
Page 24
SSingle Room Occupancy
O
Buildings (SROs))
SSRO hotels and rooming housess make up a large portion of th
he market renta
al stock in the D
Downtown Eastsside, especiallyy for
p
people on incom
me assistance and others living
g on a fixed inco
ome. Many SRO rooms do not hhave their own bathrooms or kkitchens.
A
As of 2011, 101 private markett SRO buildings were located within
w
the Down
ntown Eastside, with an additio
onal 31 SROs be
eing rented
a
at non-market rates.
r
The gene
eral location of these buildings is shown on the map below.
Single-Room Occupancy Hotels, 2012
D
Downtown Eastside
e Profile 2013
Page 25
N
Non-market housing
h
N
Non-market hou
using (social hou
using) is self-co
ontained (own bathroom
b
and kiitchen) housingg owned and ope
erated by a non
n-profit or
ggovernment age
ency. The majority of non-marrket housing uniits in the Downttown Eastside aare for singles.
E
Excluding the 31 non-market SROs mentioned on the previou
us page, there are
a 71 non-markket developmen
nts in the Downtown
E
Eastside, shown
n below.
Non-Market Housing, 2012
P
Page 26
1.5 Health
h and Socia
al Servicess
H
Health Outcom
mes
R
Recent years ha
ave seen improv
vements to man
ny health indica
ators in the Dow
wntown Eastsidee, including longer life expecta
ancy,
llower rates of infectious disease, fewer overd
dose deaths and
d greater service provision. Hoowever, Downto
own Eastside ressidents
ccontinue to exp
perience worse health outcome
es than the gene
eral population
n, with many coomplex health challenges and b
barriers to
a
accessing care. Positive health
h outcomes depe
end on factors such as access to
t quality food;; safe and secure housing; and
d positive
e
early child deve
elopment.
Selected Health Outcomes and Access Indicators
D
Downtown Eastside
e Profile 2013
Page 27
H
Health and So
ocial Services
T
There is a high concentration of
o health and so
ocial services in
n the Downtown
n Eastside. The following mapss illustrate the
d
distribution of services
s
by type
e; they do not analyze
a
or addre
ess service leve
els or services p
provided.
Selected Health Services, 2013
P
Page 28
Community and Social Services, 2008
Downtown Eastside Profile 2013
Page 29
C
Community Ce
entres
T
The Downtown Eastside’s four City-funded community and re
esource centress serve as servicce hubs, gatherring spaces and
o
opportunities fo
or recreation. Some facilities, such as the Eve
elyne Saller Cen
ntre, also provid
de access to basic needs includ
ding
sshowers and lau
undry.
Downtown Eastside Community Centres Services and Populations Served, 2012
P
Page 30
B
Basic Needs
A
Access to basic needs, includin
ng access to batthrooms, showe
ers, water founttains, clothing aand laundry, are a particular cconcern for
rresidents in the
e Downtown Easstside because of
o the rate of ho
omelessness and the SRO stockk with inadequa
ate bathroom and laundry
ffacilities.
IIn addition to City
C facilities suc
ch as libraries and
a community centres, many agencies provid
de access to toiilet and showerr facilities;
a
an illustration of
o some of these
e facilities appe
ears on the map
p below.
Downtown Eastside Toilets, Drinking Fountains and Showers, 2012
Drinking Fountains, 2012
D
Downtown Eastside
e Profile 2013
Page 31
G
Grants and So
ocial Purpose Real Estate
E
Each year, the City
C of Vancouv
ver provides mo
ore than $1 million in grants to
o Downtown Easstside organizattions for important
sservices for chilldren, youth, fa
amilies, Aboriginals, immigrantts, refugees, pe
eople with disab
bilities, seniors and women. M
Many of
tthese grants go towards betterring neighbourh
hood services fo
or vulnerable po
opulations and iissues concernin
ng social justice
e, mental
h
health and addiictions. In addittion to organiza
ations located in
n the Downtown
n Eastside, 44 oorganizations located outside tthe
D
Downtown Eastsside that receiv
ved grants from Social Policy also reported serving the comm
munity in 2011.332
City of Vancouver Community Services Grants, 2011
3
32
City of Vancouv
ver Social Policy Division, Survey of 2011 Grant Re
ecipients, 2011.
P
Page 32
A
An additional way
w the City sup
pports organizattions is by providing subsidized
d rent, known ass social purpose
e real estate, on City
o
owned or leased
d property.
Social Purpose Real Estate, 2012
D
Downtown Eastside
e Profile 2013
Page 33
1.6 A Good
d Start
A
As dicussed in the introductory
y section, the Downtown
D
Eastside has a relativvely small child
d population compared to the ccity
o
overall. Howeve
er, a number off children live in
n the residentia
al areas of Stratthcona and Opp
penheimer.
C
Child Poverty
y
B
British Columbia
a has consistenttly had higher rates
r
of children
n in low income
e families than Canada overall. Within the Citty of
V
Vancouver, the proportion of children
c
under six
s living in low
w income familie
es is approximattely 2.5 times h
higher in the Do
owntown
E
Eastside than ac
cross the city as a whole. The effects of child
d poverty are prrofound; living iin poverty limitts access to food and
h
healthy nutritio
on, daycare optiions, choices re
egarding schooliing, and social and
a recreationaal opportunitiess. Furthermore,, poverty
lleads to stigmattization, discrim
mination and alienation.33
After-Tax Low Income Children Under 6 by Subarea, 2005
3
33
SPARC. The Cost of Poverty in BC,
B 2011.
P
Page 34
Early Development Instrument
A frequently used measure of child vulnerability is the
Early Development Instrument (EDI). The EDI measures
school-readiness for six-year-olds on five scales of
potential vulnerability: physical, social, emotional,
language and communication. As discussed on the
previous page, most Downtown Eastside children live in
the Strathcona area, which has the highest percentage
of children vulnerable on one or more scales in
Vancouver. In 2011/2012, 51 per cent of children in
Strathcona were considered "not ready for school,”
compared to 36 per cent for the entire Vancouver
School Board.34
Early Development Instrument Vulnerability, 2011-2012
34
UBC Human Early Learning Partnership (HELP), 2011/12.
Downtown Eastside Profile 2013
Page 35
C
Childcare
A
Availability and affordability of quality early learning
l
and ca
are opportunitie
es are key issuess, especially for vulnerable fam
milies in
tthe Downtown Eastside.
E
Qualitty care and learrning opportunities for children
n in their early years have bee
en linked to many positive
ssocial, economiic and health ou
utcomes, for ind
dividuals and co
ommunities. Wiithout additionaal support and ccare, children in highly
vvulnerable environments in the
eir early years may
m be at greatter risk for diffiiculty in the schhool years and b
beyond.35
3
35
Early Learning Advisory Group. Ministry of Healtth and the Ministrry of Children and Family Developpment. British Co
olumbia early lea
arning
fframework, 2008.
P
Page 36
Schools
Childcare Programs and Schools, 2012
The catchment areas for the Downtown Eastside feed into two elementary schools and neighbouring Britannia Secondary School.
Reflecting the demographics of the community, there is a larger proportion of Aboriginal students compared to other Vancouver
schools. There is also a larger proportion of students with special needs, especially at Britannia Secondary where a Learning
Support Program is offered. The proportion of English language learners in the Downtown Eastside is similar to that of Vancouver.
School Demographics, Enrollment and Programs, 2012
Downtown Eastside Profile 2013
Page 37
1.7 Learniing for Life
e
O
Opportunities fo
or learning and development, especially for those
t
who are marginalized,
m
caan contribute to
o improved indiividual and
ccommunity health and well-be
eing in countlesss ways. Education is strongly connected to othher determinan
nts of health succh as
a
adequate incom
me and decent employment
e
con
nditions, and th
here is a clear correlation
c
betw
ween health outtcomes and edu
ucation.
36
P
People with hig
gher education tend
t
to be healthier than those
e without.
F
Formal Educa
ation
D
Downtown Eastsside residents have
h
much lowe
er rates of formal education th
han the city as a whole; more tthan one-third o
of
rresidents over 15
1 have not com
mpleted high school, and less than
t
40 per cent have completted a post-secon
ndary certificatte, diploma
o
or degree. Pove
erty, addiction and
a marginaliza
ation are seriou
us barriers to acccessing formal education, and
d many residentts pursue
o
other learning opportunities.
o
Highest Formal Educational Certificate by Subarea, 2006
Public Post-Secondary Institutions, 2012
3
36
Raphael, D. Soc
cial Determinantts of Health, 2010
0.
P
Page 38
Learning Resources
Many unique learning resources have sprung up in the Downtown Eastside over the years. Neighbouring post-secondary
institutions, including UBC, Capilano University, Vancouver Community College, have started programs or support existing
programs for Downtown Eastside residents. For example, UBC runs the Learning Exchange which offers internet access, English
conversation circles and, opportunities to learn about the humanities 101 or science 101 courses offered at UBC. The Hastings
Education School at Britannia Secondary School runs an adult general educational development (GED) program.
Adult Continuing Education Resources, 2012
Downtown Eastside Profile 2013
Page 39
A
Aboriginal Focused Learnin
ng
A
Aboriginal focussed learning hass been identifie
ed as an importa
ant contributorr to feelings of cconnection and inclusion. In th
he
D
Downtown Eastsside, there are schools with Ab
boriginal focuse
ed programs; so
ome communityy kitchens have classes tailored
d to
A
Aboriginal participants; there is
i an Aboriginall focused daycare; and there are
a services thatt focus on programming for Ab
boriginal
p
people.
Aboriginal Education Resources, 2012
P
Page 40
1.8 Critica
al Connections
T
The presence off friendships, fa
amily and strong social supportts are essential for personal heealth and well-b
being.
H
Household Strructure


In the Do
owntown Eastside, only 44 perr cent of residen
nts live in famillies with a part ner and/or chilldren, compared
d to
73 per cent of residentss across the Citty of Vancouver. 45 per cent of
o Downtown Eaastside residentts live alone, co
ompared to
17 per cent of Vancouver residents. 37
owntown Eastside, 70 per cen
nt of householdss are occupied by
b a single persson, compared tto 39 per cent iin the City
In the Do
of Vanco
ouver. The averrage size of privvate householdss is 1.5 persons per household, compared to a
an average of 2..2 for
38
Vancouv
ver.
Private Household Size by Subarea, 2006
3
37
3
38
Census, 2006.
Census, 2006.
D
Downtown Eastside
e Profile 2013
Page 41
M
Mobility
M
Mobility measurres the length of
o time a person
n has lived at hiis or her current residence. Moobility can be an indicator of ccommunity
o
ownership and engagement,
e
bu
ut in different ways.
w
Low mobiility may indica
ate secure housiing, or it may in
ndicate that pe
eople are
u
unable to move
e. Compared to the City overall, the Downtow
wn Eastside has a higher percenntage of people
e who have lived
d in their
ccurrent residence for over five
e years, and a higher percentag
ge of people wh
ho have lived inn their residence for less than one year.
H
However, this masks
m
the distin
nction between sub-areas: Stra
athcona is the only
o
sub-area wiith a larger proportion of resid
dents not
m
moving in the past
p
five years than the city overall.
Length of Time at Current Address by Subarea, 2006
P
Page 42
1.9 Being and
a Feelin
ng Safe
W
Women’s Safe
ety
T
The safety of women
w
in Vancou
uver’s Downtow
wn Eastside is a priority for botth the communiity and the Cityy. Poverty, hom
melessness,
rracism, sexism and unsafe housing make manyy women more vulnerable to sexual,
s
emotionnal, mental and physical violen
nce. The
ccase of the Dow
wntown Eastside
e’s missing and murdered wom
men is a tragic example
e
of how marginalized w
women, includin
ng many
A
Aboriginal women and survival sex workers, can become victtims of homicide. As the Missinng Women Comm
mission of Inquiiry has
n
noted, “Eradica
ating the proble
em of violence against
a
women involves addresssing the root caauses of margin
nalization, nota
ably
ssexism, racism and the ongoing
g pervasive effe
ects of the colo
onization of Abo
original peoples – all of which ccontribute to th
he poverty
a
and insecurity in which many women
w
live.39”
IIn 2012, 16 per cent of reporte
ed sexual assaullts in Vancouver occurred in th
he Downtown Eaastside, an area
a with only 3 pe
er cent of
V
Vancouver’s pop
pulation40. As many
m
sexual assa
aults are unreported, and marrginalized group
ps are particularly unlikely to rreport
ccrime, this may
y be an underestimate.
E
Estimating the number
n
of surviival sex workerss in Vancouver is challenging: the overall streeet sex work po
opulation is estimated to
b
be between 1,5
500 and 2,000 in
ndividuals, but studies
s
suggest that at least 80
0 per cent of seex work in Cana
ada’s urban centres takes
p
place indoors an
nd is less visible
e than street se
ex work. Eighty per cent of peo
ople engaged inn sex work identify as women, while
a
about 20 per ce
ent identify as males
m
or transge
ender. Transgen
nder people ma
ay identify as feemale, male, bo
oth or neither.
A
An estimated 40
0 per cent of street sex workers are immigran
nt or visible min
nority women.411
T
The urban Aborriginal populatio
on is vastly overr-represented in
n street sex work. While comp
prising two per ccent of Vancouvver’s
p
population, abo
out 40 per cent of street sex workers
w
are Aborriginal.42 Severa
al authors draw
w a direct link to
o the negative e
effects of
ccolonization, including the residential school experience, as contributing fa
actors. Despite making up onlyy four per cent o
of the
ffemale populatiion, Aboriginal women make up a much larger proportion of women who arre missing and m
murdered in Can
nada.
T
The first Women’s Memorial March was held on
o Valentine’s Day
D in 1991 in response to the murder of a Co
oast Salish woman on
P
Powell Street in
n Vancouver. Ou
ut of a sense off hopelessness and
a anger came
e this annual eveent which proviides an outlet tto express
ccompassion, com
mmunity, and caring
c
for all wo
omen in the Dow
wntown Eastsid
de. Over 20 yearrs later, the Wo
omen’s Memoria
al March
ccontinues to honour the lives of
o missing and murdered
m
wome
en.
3
39
W. T. Oppal. Forsaken, The Rep
port of the Missin
ng Women Commission of Inquiry Volume
V
1, 2012.
Vancouver Police Department, 2013.
4
41
MAKA Projectt; Farley, M., Lyn
nne, J. and Cotto
on, A.J. (2005). Prostitution
P
in Van
ncouver: Violencce and the Colonization of First Na
ation’s
W
Women. Transculltural Psychiatry,, 42:2:242-271.
4
42
Farley, M., Lyn
nne, J. and Cotton, A.J. (2005). Prostitution in Van
ncouver: Violence
e and the Colonizzation of First Na
ation’s Women.
T
Transcultural Psy
ychiatry, 42:2:242
2-271.
4
40
D
Downtown Eastside
e Profile 2013
Page 43
G
General Safetty
A
Accessibility of public phones is
i a large conce
ern in the Downtown Eastside because
b
many rresidents do nott have a cell ph
hone. Only
a few public phones remain, with
w
many of the
em operating on
nly for 911 callss. As a result, m
many non-profitts offer free pho
ones to
ttheir patrons. An
A innovative orrganization, Firsst Funds Societyy, provides a co
ommunity voiceemail service to
o low income co
ommunity
m
members.
Public Phones, 2012
P
Page 44
Infrastructure and Facilities
Police, Emergency Response and Justice System Facility Locations, 2012
Downtown Eastside Profile 2013
Page 45
R
Reported Crim
me
T
The Downtown Eastside experiiences higher ra
ates of reported
d crime than see
en citywide. Frrom 2006 to 201
11, reported pro
operty
ccrime has decre
eased, and othe
er criminal code
e43 and violent reported
r
crime has increased.
N
Note that interp
preting reported crime statistics can be a frau
ught exercise, particularly
p
in vvulnerable communities. An increase in
rreported crime may be due to an improved re
elationship betw
ween police and
d residents. Chaanges to police deployment an
nd
p
priorities can allso affect how crime
c
is reporte
ed.
T
These figures must
m
also be und
derstood in the context that crrime is expected
d to be higher iin central areass in close proxim
mity to
rregional destina
ations. The grap
ph below is onlyy a partial pictu
ure and a first step
s
toward a m
more complete u
understanding o
of the
ssafety of the Do
owntown Eastsid
de and its resid
dents.
Reported Crime Incidences, 2006-2011
4
43
Other criminal code offences in
nclude mischief, bail violations, disturbing the pea
ace, arson, prostiitution and offen
nsive weapons.
P
Page 46
1.10 Expre
essing Ourrselves
T
The arts play an
n important role
e in the qualityy of life as
w
well as the social and economiic vitality of cities. For an
iindividual, the arts
a can stimula
ate, inspire and
d
e
entertain. At th
he neighbourhoo
od level, strong
g creative
ccommunities ma
ay contribute to
o positive chang
ge in local
e
economies, sociial environmentts, neighbourho
ood
ccharacter and demographics.
d
A
Artist Population
Employment in Arts and Culture, 2006
A 2010 report profiled
p
artists and
a cultural workers in
C
Canada’s five la
argest cities.44 The
T report foun
nd
V
Vancouver has the
t highest concentration of artists
a
among the five cities, with alm
most one-third of
o all BC
a
artists residing in the City of Vancouver.
V
The
cconcentration of
o artists in Vancouver is doublle the
p
provincial avera
age and nearly triple
t
the national
a
average. Vancouver also has a high number an
nd
45
cconcentration of
o cultural work
kers.
T
The map at righ
ht summarizes the
t proportion of
o the
p
population emp
ployed in all artss and culture in
ndustries in
llocal areas. Dow
wntown and Strrathcona have higher
h
cconcentrations of artists and cultural workerss than the
ccity as a whole..
4
44
Calgary, Montreal, Ottawa, Torronto and Vancou
uver were studied
d. Using data from
m Statistic Canadda’s 2006 Census, five variables w
were
e
examined: concentration of artistts and cultural wo
orkers within neighbourhoods and
d labour force; m
median earnings; income gap; education; and
ggender balance.
4
45
Hills Strategiess Research. Mapp
ping Artists and Cultural Workers in Canada’s Large
e Cities, Februaryy 2010.
D
Downtown Eastside
e Profile 2013
Page 47
T
The report refe
erenced above also
a
studies posttal FSAs in deptth. The V6A posstal region, whi ch contains mo
ost of the Downttown
E
Eastside, has th
he following fea
atures:



4
46
Concenttration of artistss: The V6A posttal region had th
he second highe
est concentratioon of artists in the city at 4.4 per cent
of the la
abour force and is almost doub
ble the concentrration of artistss in the city as a whole (2.3 pe
er cent).
Income and
a earnings ga
ap: Artists’ med
dian earnings for the V6A posta
al area were $144,300 as compa
ared to $17,400 median
earned by
b artists living in city overall, and is 25 per cent
c
less than all Vancouver woorkers.
Educatio
on: At least 48 per
p cent of artists living in the
e V6A region havve a bachelor’s degree or higher, which is com
mparable
to the sttatistic for city artists.
Gender distribution:
d
Th
he V6A postal re
egion contains a smaller proportion of femalee artists (36 per cent) than in V
Vancouver
as a who
ole (47 per centt).46
Hills Strategiess Research. Mapp
ping Artists and Cultural Workers in Canada’s Large
e Cities, Februaryy 2010.
P
Page 48
Cultural Assets
The map below plots the locations of non-profit cultural assets in the Downtown Eastside planning area.
Non-Profit Cultural Assets, 2013.
Downtown Eastside Profile 2013
Page 49
N
Neighbourhoo
od Change and
d the Arts
A
Artists tend to be
b found in neig
ghbourhoods wiith inexpensive housing and acccess to resourcces (studio space, galleries, reh
hearsal
a
and performanc
ce spaces, artistt-run centres, associations).
a
However, neighb
bourhoods consiidered “artsy” o
or trendy often then
b
become unafforrdable for the artists
a
community as gentrifica
ation occurs. In the Downtown Eastside, there
e is a perception
n that
a
artists are being
g displaced due
e to rising rent, and migrating east
e
toward Gra
andview-Woodlland.
T
The map below plots the locattions of assets id
dentified by a member
m
of the LAPP committeee as serving the
e Downtown Ea
astside’s
llow income artiist community; recognizing and
d protecting the
ese assets throu
ugh neighbourhoood change will be a challenge
e.
Community-Identified Cultural Spaces Serving the Low Income Community, 2012
P
Page 50
Public Art
Public art has a profound effect on the built environment, and helps to make spaces welcoming and beautiful. Public art is often
used as a form of political expression and to highlight the cultural history of the Downtown Eastside. Many public art programs
operate in the Downtown Eastside.47 Great Beginnings, a City initiative to improve streets and public spaces and to support
cultural activities, funded a mural project that produced more than 30 murals in the Downtown Eastside. These murals are
illustrated on the map below along with works of public art catalogued by the City of Vancouver.
Public Art, 2012
47
Princess Street Interactive Walk; Creative Pathways project (Community Arts Council of Vancouver).
Downtown Eastside Profile 2013
Page 51
1.11 Getting Outside
e
E
Except for Stratthcona, the Dow
wntown Eastside
e has many mulltifamily
b
buildings and litttle yard space.. Parks and gree
en spaces in the
e
D
Downtown Eastsside are shared—and sometime
es contested—sp
paces for
m
many different community gro
oups. CRAB Park
k, created throu
ugh
ccommunity orga
anizing, exempllifies the importance of accesssible
n
natural spaces to
t this commun
nity.
O
Opportunities to
o spend time in
n natural areas are
a often constrained by
a lack of resourrces and time lo
ow income peop
ple experience. Some
p
programs have developed
d
to prrovide Downtow
wn Eastside resiidents
w
with the opporttunity to spend time in nature.. Organizations such as
tthe Carnegie Ce
entre offer prog
grams for seniorrs and low incom
me
rresidents to go on camping trip
ps and day tripss.
P
Page 52
P
Parks
T
There are five major
m
parks witthin Downtown Eastside boundaries, consisting
g of 14.09 ha; aanother 16.45 h
ha are in parks a
adjacent
tto it.48 This amo
ounts to 1.65 ha
a of park space per 1,000 resid
dents, less than citywide and ssignificantly lesss than City stan
ndards.
M
Most residents live
l
near a park
k or green space
e, but access may be constrain
ned by barriers ssuch as railwayy tracks and hea
avily
ttrafficked majo
or roads in partss of the neighbo
ourhood.
Parks and Green Space Provision and Proximity, 2011
4
48
Adjacent parkss include CRAB Pa
ark, Trillium Park
k, Thornton Park,, Creekside Park,, Andy Livingstonne Park and Cathe
edral Square.
D
Downtown Eastside
e Profile 2013
Page 53
1.12 Being
g Active
T
The central core of the Downto
own Eastside in
n the Oppenheim
mer District (DE
EOD) has little sspace for relaxa
ation and active
e
rrecreation, apart from Oppenh
heimer Park. Co
ommunity centrres and social ag
gencies providee vital gatheringg and recreation
n space for
rresidents of the
e Downtown Easstside to socialize and play.
R
Recreation an
nd Gathering Space
T
The map below presents a sele
ection of community-identified
d recreation and
d gathering spaaces, as compile
ed for the Carne
egie
C
Centre’s Downtown Eastside re
esource guide.
Community Recreation and Gathering Spaces, 2012
P
Page 54
1.13 Getting Around
d
R
Residents in the
e Downtown Easstside commute
e more frequenttly by walking, biking or transiit, compared to
o citywide avera
ages.
W
While work trips offer only a liimited picture of
o mobility,49 given the low lab
bour force partiicipation in the Downtown Eastside, high
u
use of walking, cycling and tra
ansit is supporte
ed by other indiicators: Adanac is among the ccity’s busiest bikeways; transitt service
llevels and riderrship are high, particularly
p
on Hastings
H
Street; and many dayy-to-day trips arre made by walking.
T
The Downtown Eastside’s central location allo
ows for conveniient walking, cyycling and transsit trips to workk. However, forr low
iincome people, transportation options may be
e constrained by
b income.
JJourney to Work
W
Usual Mode of Travel to Work, 2006
4
49
Census informattion on modes off travel is only asked for commute
e to work trips. While
W
Translink coollects informatio
on on all trips through
rregular trip diary
y surveys, neighbo
ourhood-level da
ata are not availa
able.
D
Downtown Eastside
e Profile 2013
Page 55
W
Walking
5
SStudies in 200950
and 201251 ha
ave found that a disproportiona
ate number of pedestrian
p
injurries take place in the Downtow
wn
E
Eastside. The Downtown Eastsiide is home to a large number of particularly vulnerable road
d users with spe
ecial safety nee
eds.
A
Actions taken to
o improve safetty include estab
blishing a 30 kilo
ometres per hour zone along H
Hastings Street from Jackson to
o Abbott;
iincreasing pede
estrian walk tim
mes at intersectiions; adding midblock signals; and installing ccountdown crossswalk signals.
5
50
5
51
Schuurman, N., et al. Pedestria
an injury and the built environment: an environme
ental scan of hotsspots. 2009. BMC
C Public Health, 9
9:233.
City of Vancouv
ver, Pedestrian Safety
S
Study, 2012.
P
Page 56
C
Cycling
Pedestrian Signals and Crosswalks, 2013
W
While bike riderrship is relative
ely high in the DTES,
D
there are major gaps in the
t bike networrk. In particularr, the area has limited
e
east-west conne
ections. Furthermore, many off the existing ro
outes only feel safe
s
for riders w
who are confide
ent riding in tra
affic. The
m
map below illusstrates current bikeways and greenways in the
e Downtown Eastside. Future aadditions may in
nclude:


Upgrade
es to bike infrastructure on Exp
po Boulevard an
nd Union Street between Gore Avenue and Ca
arrall Street is b
being
considerred by City Coun
ncil in summer 2013, pending further
f
consulta
ation with neig hbouring reside
ents and businessses.
In conjunction with the
e Powell Street overpass projec
ct, a new bike connection
c
will be developed a
along Alexander and
S
addresssing a gap in easst-west bike rou
utes through the northern porttion of the Dow
wntown Eastside
e.
Powell Streets,
Bikeway Network, 2012
D
Downtown Eastside
e Profile 2013
Page 57
L
Local Transit
T
The map below illustrates freq
quent local (all-stop) transit lin
nes operating in
n the Downtownn Eastside. Thesse services provvide
a
all-day access to destinations along
a
major Dow
wntown Eastsid
de corridors such as Hastings Sttreet and Main Street, and con
nnections
tto regional serv
vices. Hastings Street
S
is identiffied as a future rapid transit co
orridor.
A
Additional transsit lines operatiing in the Down
ntown Eastside include
i
the 135 limited stop seervice along Hasstings Street, a
and
ssuburban express services to th
he North Shore,, Port Moody, Coquitlam
C
and Port
P
Coquitlam. The West Coasst Express comm
muter train
o
operates on the
e railway tracks at the north ed
dge of the Down
ntown Eastside next to Burrard
d Inlet.
Frequent Local Transit Network, 2012
P
Page 58
Commercial Transportation
A significant transport asset and opportunity for Downtown Eastside is the adjacent port, which is linked by rail to the waterfront
and through the Downtown Eastside by a north/south rail corridor route through Strathcona. The False Creek flats rail yards,
industrial area and station provide additional transport advantages to businesses and industry in this area of the city. Road access
to the port is achieved through Downtown Eastside along Heatley Avenue. As a result the Downtown Eastside has a relatively high
connectivity to global markets and other regional economic opportunities.
Areas of Concern
The Downtown Eastside has a significant proportion of wheelchair users and residents dependent on walkers and different forms
of mobility assistance. Uneven sidewalks, high curbs lacking ramps, and wide streets with limited crossing times make a
challenging environment for people relying on mobility aids. The relative lack of on-street bike facilities can sometimes result in
more people cycling or skateboarding on the sidewalk, leading to increased conflicts with pedestrians.
Downtown Eastside Profile 2013
Page 59
P
Pedestrian an
nd Cyclist Collisions
T
The Downtown Eastside has inttersections thatt are areas of concern for pede
estrians and cycclists. The map below illustrattes
llocations with five
f
or more ped
destrian- or cyc
clist-involved co
ollisions from 20
005 to 2010.
Pedestrian and Cyclist-Involved Collisions, 2005-2010
P
Page 60
2. Toward He
ealthy Com
mmunities
T
The Downtown Eastside is a ne
eighbourhood off diverse communities that tells a story of com
mpassion, tolerrance, activism and hope
ffor the future. Residents value
e its rich cultura
al and communiity heritage, strrong social netw
works, acceptan
nce of diversityy and
sstrong sense of community. Bu
uilding, maintaining and supporrting inclusion, belonging and connectedness is critical for w
well-being.
P
Preserving the uniqueness
u
of the Downtown Eastside,
E
while addressing
a
majo
or social issues,, is a central ch
hallenge for planning in
tthis community.
2
2.1 In the Neighbourrhood
A 2012 Vancouv
ver Foundation report
r
found th
hat social conne
ectedness and engagement
e
is loow in Vancouve
er. Their findinggs showed
h
high levels of lo
oneliness; one in
n four people in
ndicated they are
a alone more often
o
than theyy would like and
d a third of peo
ople found
iit hard to make
e friends. 52 The Downtown Easttside provides a slight contrastt; many people reported durin
ng the Social Impact
A
Assessment, desscribed in section 3.4, that the
ey had a strong sense of comm
munity in their nneighbourhood.
A
As discussed in section 1.8, ma
any people live alone, and man
ny of those resid
dents live in sm
mall SROs. Bars, restaurants, co
ommunity
ccentres and parrks are often seen as major asssets for gatherin
ng and social in
nteraction. Pigeeon and Oppenh
heimer Parks in particular
a
are highly value
ed by residents,, and are often described as th
he living rooms of the Downtow
wn Eastside. Soccial service age
encies also
o
offer gathering spaces for vuln
nerable residentts.
W
With the influx of new residents, many low in
ncome people are feeling theirr sense of comm
munity eroding. There is particular
cconcern about discrimination
d
towards
t
low inc
come people and decreased afffordability.53 Foor others, the neighbourhood cchanges
a
are welcomed, and bring with them increased
d sense of safetty and improvem
ments to the buuilt environment.
5
52
5
53
Vancouver Foundation. Connecttions and Engage
ement. A survey of
o metro Vancouvver. June 2012.
Result of Social Impact Assessm
ment. See section 3.4.
D
Downtown Eastside
e Profile 2013
Page 61
2
2.2 Out an
nd About
SSchools, workpllaces and comm
munity organizattions play important roles in so
ocial interactio n and increasin
ng sense of belo
onging.
T
These places alsso support heallth and well-beiing, volunteerin
ng, community building, local oorganizations, cclubs and sportss.
L
Library and Community
C
Ce
entre Use
T
The use of Downtown Eastside libraries and co
ommunity centres has increase
ed, even as cityy-wide use has ffallen. These fa
acilities
a
are important gathering
g
spacess for Downtown
n Eastside reside
ents, in addition to offering reecreation and le
earning program
mming.
Libraries and Community Centres Select Usage Indicators, 2006-2010
P
Page 62
2
2.3 Acrosss the City
C
Civic engageme
ent and participation take many forms,
b
but a basic indicator of engage
ed citizenship iss voter
tturnout. Electio
ons at all three levels of govern
nment—
m
municipal, prov
vincial and fede
eral—have taken
n place in
tthe last four years54. In all elec
ctions, voter turnout has
b
been significanttly lower in the Downtown Eastside than
V
Vancouver as a whole.
IIn an attempt to
o increase vote
er turnout in the
e
D
Downtown Eastsside, many prog
grams seek to register
vvoters who face
e barriers to votting. The Carne
egie centre
rruns voter enga
agement program
mming to registter and
ssupport people in advance pollls or on Election
n Day.
O
Often this involves coordinatin
ng witnesses, either
sservice providerrs or friends, in
n lieu of providing proof of
a
address.
5
54
At the time of this writing, polll-by-poll voter turnout data for th
he 2013 provincia
al election is not yet available.
D
Downtown Eastside
e Profile 2013
Page 63
Voter Turnout in Recent Elections, 2009-2011
3. Toward
T
He
ealthy Enviironmentss
T
The health of people, place an
nd the planet arre inextricably linked.
l
To achie
eve a healthy ccity requires a b
built environment that is
vvibrant and wellcoming, and fa
acilitates easy access
a
to service
es and retail. A sustainable nattural environme
ent ensures clean air and
w
water, but also access to naturre. A thriving ec
conomic enviro
onment develops local employm
ment opportunities. A vibrant ssocial
e
environment provides accessib
ble and shared spaces
s
where we
w can meet, lea
arn, collaboratee, access servicces, relax and e
enjoy.
N
Neighbourhoo
od Change
T
The Downtown Eastside is chan
nging, and these
e changes affec
ct the social, ecconomic and buuilt environmentt of the Downto
own
E
Eastside. This iss of particular concern
c
for the many vulnerab
ble people living
g in the Downtoown Eastside wh
ho are socially a
and
e
economically marginalized.
m
An
ny large and rap
pid changes occu
urring in the ne
eighbourhood pllace pressure on vulnerable re
esidents
tthrough rising re
ental rates, displacement as re
enovations of older
o
buildings take
t
place, the closure of the ffew remaining affordable
b
businesses, and the accompany
ying feelings an
nd perceptions of
o exclusion fro
om a gentrifyingg landscape. The City of Vanco
ouver’s
p
philosophy in th
he Downtown Ea
astside has been “revitalization without displacement”—meaaning that the e
existing low inccome
rresidents will be
e a stable part of a future com
mmunity that wiill also include people with divverse social and
d economic backgrounds.
“
“Revitalization without displac
cement” is provving to be a cha
allenging philoso
ophy to achievee amidst the current land use cchanges
ttaking place. Se
everal factors se
erve as evidenc
ce that the Dow
wntown Eastside
e is experiencingg growth and ch
hange and will probably
ccontinue to do so
s in the future
e:
1. Populatiion growth in the
t Downtown Eastside
E
as a wh
hole (12 per cen
nt) between 20001 and 2011 wa
as slightly fasterr
compare
ed to the city att large (10 per cent).
c
The Deve
elopment Capaccity model of thhe Downtown Eastside estimattes a
growth of
o approximatelly 7,000 people
e by 2041 based on current rate
es of developmeent and land usse constraints, ssuch as the
availabillity of suitable redevelopment properties, the
e Rate of Chang
ge Policy for Reental Housing, e
etc.55
2. The high
h level of accessibility to transsit services and
d proximity to the
t Downtown ccore is attractivve to new emerrging
businesss ventures and developers
d
seek
king to meet the
e demand for afffordable comm
mercial premise
es and middle to
o upper
income accommodation
a
n near the core of the city.
3. The neig
ghbouring down
ntown peninsulla has been the focus of majorr residential devvelopment overr the last decad
de. Some of
this has occurred within
n the Downtown
n Eastside throu
ugh renovation of older buildinngs and some in
n new neighbourhoods
nearby. There has been
n a mix of mark
ket and non-marrket housing, with most being market units.
4. Analysis of the distributtion of vacant and
a underdeve
eloped propertiies reveals therre is capacity in
n the Downtown
n Eastside
for addittional developm
ment at even moderate
m
levells without affec
cting heritage b
buildings or ex
xisting tall struc
ctures.
5
55
City of Vancouv
ver. Research and Data Services. 2012.
P
Page 64
There is estimated to be potential to accommodate from 6,000 to 10,000 additional units on vacant or I to 2 storey
developed sites.56
5. The number of vacant storefronts is currently lower than in 2007, the last time data was available. There has been a
noticeable trend of new retail and restaurant outlets in certain parts of Downtown Eastside including Pender, Hastings,
Powell, Abbott and Carrall Streets. New commercial activities and retail outlets are being seen in the western sector
resulting in less vacant storefronts along Hastings, Pender and Keefer streets.57
6. In spite of the slight decrease in the number of vacant storefronts, rising rents and expenses are seen to be threats to
business occupancy.58
56
57
58
City of Vancouver. Research and Data Services. 2012.
City of Vancouver. Research and Data Services. 2012.
Social Impact Assessment, 2012. City of Vancouver. No quantitative data on business displacement is available.
Downtown Eastside Profile 2013
Page 65
3
3.1 A Thriv
ving Econo
omic Envirronment
T
The Downtown Eastside has seen a significantt transformation
n in its economyy over 125 yearrs since the dayys of early settle
ement by
iimmigrants. Fro
om the trading summer
s
camps of the Coast Sa
alish Nation to a harbour, railw
way line, sawmill, steelworks, hotels,
b
boarding housess, retail, commercial and industrial developm
ment. Following the pattern of many major ce
entral business d
districts
a
and the adjacen
nt precincts, Do
owntown Eastsid
de is undergoing change with older
o
buildings becoming unecconomic for their current
u
uses, leading to
o renovation or demolition and replacement with
w
new structu
ures to accomm
modate new use
es and residentss.
T
The Downtown Eastside is conssidered geograp
phically well positioned to acce
ess other markeets in the Lower Mainland beca
ause of the
H
Hastings Street corridor, Skytra
ain lines, rail, port
p
and bus fac
cilities. Added to
t high accessib
bility, the heritage character p
provides
tthe opportunity
y to promote tourism, retail prroducts and servvices. Lastly the
ere is a diversitty of land uses a
and building typ
pes which
p
provides a mixture of business and employme
ent opportunitie
es. There is the industrial zonee, tourist areas of Chinatown a
and
G
Gastown, and mixed
m
commerciial and office sp
pace along the Hastings corrido
or.
K
Key Economic
c Sectors
T
The Downtown Eastside has a long
l
history of manufacturing
m
and
a wholesaling
g, and there haas been recent ggrowth in the diigital
ccreative industrry and in green jobs. There are
e approximatelyy 2,800 businessses and an estim
mated 19,500 e
employees workking in the
D
Downtown Eastsside; the most prevalent
p
Down
ntown Eastside businesses are professional,
p
sccientific and tecchnical servicess;
a
administrative support,
s
waste management and remediation
n and retail.59 Additionally, theere is a large clu
uster of non-pro
ofit service
a
agencies,60 some of which supp
port social ente
erprises linked to
t low threshold
d jobs. The cha rt on the next p
page provides a
b
breakdown of th
he types of businesses licensed
d by the City off Vancouver in the
t Downtown EEastside as of 2011.61
5
59
Vancouver Economic Commissio
on compared the statistics genera
ated by a 2002 stu
udy by Messrs Feerence Weicker to
o the Dun and Bra
adstreet
H
Hoover’s databasse in 2012.
6
60
The 2008 BC211 Redbook directtory listed an estimated 174 socia
al services in the Downtown Eastsside. More recentt BC211 data are not
a
available.
6
61
It should be no
oted that a total of
o 1,254 businessses were licensed
d compared to the estimated 2,8000 businesses fou
und to be operating in the
a
area in 2012 acco
ording to the Dun
n and Bradstreet data. The differe
ences in data cou
uld relate to diffeerent classificatio
ons or definitionss of
b
businesses which may be clustere
ed in the same ad
ddress and license
ed under single names,
n
rather thaan individually. In
n addition, it is b
believed
tthere are businessses trading witho
out licenses in ce
ertain areas, eith
her in homes and warehouse/factoory style buildinggs.
P
Page 66
250
200
150
100
50
0
5
5
Miscellaneous
Accommodation
6
11
Education
Scientific
Establishment
12
Finance
6
17
Computer
Services
Waste
Management
20
40
Health and
Beauty
Transportation
& Warehousing
57
62
Community
Associations
Eating and
Drinking Places
65
Construction
and Trades
57
74
Arts and
Entertainment
Personal
Services
84
PDR
191
Retail
153
194
Manufacturing
Office
206
Wholesale
Number of Business Licenses by Type in the DTES, 2011
Number of Business Licenses by Type in the DTES, 2011
On a more granular level, the top five lines of businesses in the Downtown Eastside in 2012 are: business services, eating places,
legal services, business consulting and grocery stores.62
Change in Economic Sectors
Between 2012 and 2002, there has been little change in the number of employees in Downtown Eastside, and an increase in
number of businesses. Details of the implications drawn from the comparison between 2002 and 2012 included:63




62
63
The
The
The
The
biggest
biggest
biggest
biggest
decreases in business type were retail and wholesale.
decreases in employees were wholesale, retail and manufacturing.
increases in business type were business services and professional services.
increases in employees were professional services, finance and insurance services.
Dun and Bradstreet, 2012.
Vancouver Economic Commission (2012) and Messrs Ference Weicker (2002).
Downtown Eastside Profile 2013
Page 67
E
Economic Dev
velopment
A 2002 study reviewed the opp
portunities for economic
e
develo
opment in the Downtown
D
Eastsside.64 The stud
dy identified some viable
o
opportunities fo
or growth in a wide
w
variety of sectors,
s
includiing:




Retail
Tourism
Educatio
on
Apparel



Food pro
ocessing and wholesale
Film, artts, and culture
High tech
hnology



Light man
nufacturing, wh
holesale,
and logisttics
Business services
Social enterprise
IIn 2002, the lev
vel of business investment in th
he DTES was low
w and was proje
ected to remainn low over the sshort term. The
e
iindications thatt led to that con
nclusion include
ed few development projects in
i the previous five years, high
h vacancy rates, low
llevels of busine
ess investment, and businesses shutting down or moving out of
o the area.
A
Attracting new investment to the
t area was a critical factor for
f economic re
evitalization. Foor the DTES, som
me of the strengths to
a
attract new investment include
e:





The DTE
ES is well-positio
oned geographic
cally to access other markets in
i the Lower Maainland.
The stro
ong heritage of the
t region provvides the opporttunity to promo
ote tourism and retail productss and services in
n an
authentiic heritage enviironment.
The area
a has a long histtory as a centre
e for apparel an
nd food manufacturing.
Property
y costs are gene
erally lower tha
an elsewhere in Vancouver.
There is a strong base of
o residents, org
ganizations, and
d business imprrovement assoc iations committted to improvin
ng the
area.
M
More recently, there
t
are signs of growing inte
erest in the DTE
ES by investors and
a developers . New commerccial activities an
nd retail
o
outlets are bein
ng seen in the western
w
sector resulting
r
in less vacant storefro
onts along Hasttings, Pender an
nd Keefer Stree
ets.
E
Enquiries are be
eing made abou
ut the possibilityy of new or renovated premise
es being created
d in older buildings.
6
64
Study was commissioned throug
gh the Vancouverr Agreement and conducted by Me
essrs Ference Weeicker, commissio
oned by Vancouve
er Economic
C
Commission.
P
Page 68
Obstacles to Economic Development65






Safety and Security Concerns
Business, visitors and residents say safety and security concerns are major obstacles to economic development.
High Cost of Upgrading Buildings
The cost of renovating older buildings to modern standards and the low market rents received in return, has reduced
investment in Downtown Eastside properties.
High Vacancy Rates
High commercial vacancies contribute to economic decline. Many vacant buildings do not meet occupancy standards and
are not actively marketed.
Small Local Market
Unemployment, low incomes and a small residential base limits the local market.
Physical Separation
Deteriorating links between Downtown Eastside neighbourhoods as well as with adjacent parts of the city means less
business and little strategic cooperation.
Rent and Property Costs
Increasing assessment values contribute to rising rents and property costs for business owners.
The Vancouver Economic Commission is conducting a more in-depth analysis of some of the key growth sectors for the
neighbourhood and the potential for a vibrant employment climate emerging in key sectors, including: high technology and
creative industries, the digital economy, tourism, hospitality and retail; finance, insurance and real estate; social enterprise
sector; and green business. Some of the factors that contribute to growth in these sectors are lower-cost real estate (relative to
elsewhere in Vancouver) that facilitates incubation of new enterprises; proximity to the Central Business District; historic
character and open spaces in units; and many urban lifestyle amenities such as cafés and bars.
65
Adapted from Vancouver Agreement, Economic Revitalization Plan, 2004, with information on rent and property costs added by Downtown
Eastside Planning Team, 2013.
Downtown Eastside Profile 2013
Page 69
C
Change in Pro
operty Valuess
T
The map below estimates chan
nge in property and building va
alues from 2001 to 2013, based
d on assessment data. While la
and in the
D
Downtown Eastsside has increassed in value at a similar rate to
o the city as a whole,
w
buildingg values have no
ot increased at the same
rrate.
Property Assessment Change, 2001-2011
P
Page 70
B
Business Imprrovement Asso
ociations
T
There are four Business
B
Improv
vement Associattions (BIAs) in the
t Downtown Eastside.
E
Business Improvement Areas, 2013
D
Downtown Eastside
e Profile 2013
Page 71
3
3.2 A Susta
ainable Na
atural Enviironment
T
The Greenest City Action plan is the guiding strategy
s
for Van
ncouver’s sustaiinability initiatiives, some of w
which may influe
ence the
ffuture sustainab
bility and econo
omic growth of the Downtown Eastside. The Downtown
D
Eastsside is a possiblle location for a green
e
enterprise zone
e, which would include
i
the Dow
wntown Eastside
e and False Cre
eek Flats with a possible partne
ership with the Vancouver
P
Port Authority. A green enterp
prise zone is a designated area with innovative
e sustainable laand use planning and a concentration of
ggreen businesse
es.
At a lo
ocal level, manyy organizations in the Downtow
wn Eastside worrk to
furtherr municipal and
d regional sustaiinability goals:




P
Page 72
The Strathcona
a Business Imprrovement Association has a zerro waste
challenge.
an farms in the Downtown
SOLEFoods, of United We Cann, runs two urba
Eastside.
o Downtown Easstside
Cycleback provvides bicycle reepair training to
residents.
n, the Recyclingg Centre, provid
des informal job
b
United We Can
opportunities to
t Downtown Eaastside residentts. Residents ca
an collect
recyclable matterials (binning ) and exchange
e them for mone
ey.
3
3.3 A Welll-Planned Built
B
Envirronment
L
Land Use
IIn 2012, total la
and area of Dow
wntown Eastside
e totalled over 13 million square feet.66 The m
majority of land
d is used for ressidential
p
purposes, follow
wed by industria
al and commerc
cial. This broad
d mix of land use
es is indicative of the unique ccharacter of Do
owntown
E
Eastside and itss diversity, whic
ch is not typicall of most neighb
bourhoods in th
he city.
Land use by type in the Downtown Eastside, 2012
Land Classs
Group
Residentiall
Industrial
Commercia
al
Open Space
e
Institutiona
al
Vacant + under construction
n
Total
6
66
Land Percen
ntage
(sq ft)
of T
Total
5,2
235,424
2,4
402,374
2,5
507,462
9
940,247
2,161,612
5
519,786
38%
18%
17%
16%
7%
4%
13,76
66,905
100%
City of Vancouv
ver. Research and Data Services. 2012.
D
Downtown Eastside
e Profile 2013
Page 73
Generalized Land Use, 2011.
P
Page 74
Sub-Area Zoning and Allowed Uses
Each of the seven sub-areas in the Downtown Eastside has a distinct character.
District schedules outline allowable heights, densities and use. Floor space ratio (FSR) is used for measuring density—land area to
square foot floor area in a building. The DEOD zoning is particularly important to note due to the social housing requirement for
residential buildings above 1.0 FSR.
Allowable Building Heights and Floor Space Ratios, by Zoning District
Chinatown
HA-1
HEIGHT
FSR
HA-1A
50’ maximum
Relaxable to 75’
Sites with heritage buildings
Existing height, possible additions
Not specified in Zoning. Maximum achievable affected by Design Guidelines
Allowable
Discretionary
Discretionary
90’ maximum
120’ maximum
Main St. Sub-Area
150’ maximum
Sites with heritage buildings
Existing height, possible additions
Not specified in Zoning. Maximum achievable affected by Design Guidelines
Allowable
Discretionary – Rezoning Policy
Discretionary – Rezoning Policy
Discretionary
All sites
75’ maximum
Sites with heritage buildings
Existing height, possible additions
Not specified in Zoning. Maximum achievable affected by Design Guidelines
Allowable
Discretionary
All sites
All sites
HEIGHT
FSR
Gastown
HA-2
HEIGHT
FSR
Industrial Area
M-1 and M-2
HEIGHT
All sites
FSR
All uses
Manufacturing, Wholesale, Transport.
& Storage
Downtown Eastside Profile 2013
Maximum 100’
Greater than 100’
Maximum 1.0 FSR
Allowable
Discretionary
Allowable
Maximum 5.0 FSR
Allowable
Page 75
O
Oppenheimer
Downtown
n Eastside Oppenh
heimer District (DE
EOD) - Sub-area 1,, Main+ Hastings ( DEOD ODP)
98’ Max
ximum
HEIGHT
All Sites
Greaterr than 98’
All uses
Maximum 1.0 FSR
Maximum 5.0 FSR with 20%
% social
Above 1.0 FSR
R
housing; residential and/o
or live-work
FSR
not to exceed
e
3.0 FSR
Maximum 2.5 FSR with 20%
% social
Above 1.0 FSR
R
housing
Downtown
n Eastside Oppenh
heimer District (DE
EOD) - All other Su
ub-areas
HEIGHT
All Sites
50’ Max
ximum
All uses
Maximum 1.0 FSR
FSR
Maximum 2.5 FSR with 20%
% social
Above 1.0 FSR
R
housing
Diiscretionary
Diiscretionary
Diiscretionary
Diiscretionary
Diiscretionary
Diiscretionary
Diiscretionary
Diiscretionary
S
Strathcona
RT-3
HEIGHT
FSR
All Sites
Height averag
ging or below grade
e
All uses
Dwellings
Infill
Maximum 35’
Greaterr than 35’
Maximum 0.6 FSR
Maximum 0.75 FSR
Maximum 0.95 FSR
Alllowable
Diiscretionary
Alllowable
Diiscretionary
Diiscretionary
Maximum
m 50’
Maximum
m 275’
Up to 5.0 FSR
Alllowable
Diiscretionary
Alllowable
T
Thornton Park
FC-1
HEIGHT
All Sites
FSR
All uses – a varriety of combinatio
ons
V
Victory Square
Downtown
n District (DD) - Su
ub-area C2 (Downttown District Offic
cial Development Plan)
All sites
70’ max
ximum
Social housing
g development
100’ ma
aximum
HEIGHT
Market housin
ng development witth
100’ ma
aximum
social housing
g on site
Sites with herritage buildings
Existing
g height, possible additions
a
5.0 FSR
R overall (3.0 FSR for
f residential
All sites
and/or live/work)
FSR
5.0 resid
dential (except wh
here retail
Development with 2/3 social housing
continuiity is required at grade)
g
P
Page 76
Diiscretionary
Diiscretionary
Diiscretionary
Diiscretionary
Diiscretionary
Diiscretionary
Zoning Districts, 2012
Downtown Eastside Profile 2013
Page 77
B
Building Heigh
hts
Building Heights, 2012
P
Page 78
Building Floor Space
The building floor space in the Downtown Eastside amounted to approximately 20 million square feet in 2012, with the major floor
space allocated to commercial floor space (11 million square feet) followed by residential floor space (9 million square feet).67
Commercial floor space has increased in Chinatown and Gastown, and it has decreased in all other sub-areas. Residential floor
space has increased in all sub-areas, expect for Industrial.
5000000
0
Non-Residential Space, 2001 and 2011
Chinatown
Gastown
Industrial
2001
4000000
Oppenheimer
Strathcona Thornton Park
2011
Victory
Square
Residential Space, 2001 and 2011
2000000
0
Chinatown
Gastown
Industrial
2001
Oppenheimer
Strathcona
Thornton Park Victory Square
2011
Non-Residential and Residential Floor Space, 2001 and 2011
67
City of Vancouver. Research and Data Services. 2012.
Downtown Eastside Profile 2013
Page 79
H
Heritage and Culture
B
Beyond land use
e, a built enviro
onment that is beautiful
b
and welcoming
w
contrributes to our seense of well-be
eing. The Downttown
E
Eastside has a rich
r
cultural herritage, which is reflected in th
he art (see sectiion 1.10) througghout the neigh
hbourhood, such
h as the
C
Chinatown Gate
e and the many murals.
D
Downtown Eastsside is unique being
b
the origina
al summer trading settlement for the Coast SSalish Nation on the Burrard Inllet and
m
more recently, the site of early settlement off new immigran
nt residents which established Gastown, Japan
ntown, Chinato
own and
SStrathcona. Acc
cordingly the he
eritage assets off Downtown Easstside are belie
eved to be signifficant, both in terms of the sp
piritual
m
memories and intangible value
es to the commu
unities and, the
e tangible built form of variouss structures in tthe area. There
e are
a
approximately 500
5 buildings in
n the area curre
ently listed on the City’s Herita
age Register, acccounting for ne
early 20 per cen
nt of all
tthe buildings on
n the register. The
T heritage pro
operties are de
epicted on the following
f
map. T
The high proportion of heritagge stock in
tthe area is an enormous
e
asset but could also be
b regarded as a challenge due
e to the age an d condition of m
many buildings,, which are
d
deteriorating ov
ver time.
A
Associated with
h this aging build
ding stock is the increased vulnerability of th
he Downtown Eaastside from earthquake eventts due to
tthe potential fo
or structural failure and possible building colla
apse. In additio
on, the low leveel topography of the Downtown
n Eastside
((particularly in the north south
h linkage along Carrall Street between
b
Burrard
d Inlet and Falsse Creek suggessts the area is vvulnerable
tto rising water levels due to po
otential sea levvel rise, impactiing infrastructure and basemennts over the nexxt thirty years.
P
Page 80
Heritage Buildings, 2013
D
Downtown Eastside
e Profile 2013
Page 81
3
3.4 A Vibra
ant Social Environme
ent
A
As explored in the
t Healthy Peo
ople and Health
hy Communitie
es chapters, ma
any factors conttribute to a thriiving social environment.
F
For all residentss to thrive, they
y need to have their basic nee
eds meet and more. Without im
mproving the livves of the comm
munity’s
m
most vulnerable
e residents, it iss impossible to have a healthy community forr all. How our ccommunities con
nnect and comm
municate
iis also fundame
ental. The Down
ntown Eastside is
i experiencing major changes in its social fab
bric as new peo
ople move into the new
d
developments and
a renovated buildings,
b
and as
a more businessses open in the neighbourhood
d. This is causin
ng changes in th
he
ccommunity, esp
pecially felt by vulnerable resid
dents who are most
m
affected by
b the sense of displacement a
and discriminatiion.
A Social Impact Assessment (SIA) is being cond
ducted and its outcomes
o
will be
b integrated innto the Local Arrea Plan. The SIIA will
iinform the actio
ons and policiess of the Local Area
A
Plan to assiist with mitigatting developmennt impacts on the Downtown E
Eastside’s
llow income pop
pulation. In the summer of 2012, workshops were
w
held to exp
plore how the D
Downtown Eastsside low income
e
ccommunity is be
eing affected by changes in the neighbourhoo
od. Assets, gapss, hopes and feaars were discusssed in seven ke
ey areas,
w
which align with
h the local area
a planning proce
ess themes:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Our Hom
mes
Our Live
elihoods
Our Plac
ces
Our Wellbeing: Generall
ccess and Security
Our Wellbeing: Food Ac
y and Social Servvices
Our Wellbeing: Healthy
nd Safety
Our Wellbeing: Inclusion, Belonging an
SSome of the mo
ost frequently mentioned
m
key assets
a
identified
d by the commu
unity include:










Carnegie
e Centre
Oppenhe
eimer Park
Home
Union Go
ospel Mission
First Uniited Church
Strathco
ona Community Centre
CRAB Pa
ark
Downtow
wn Eastside Women’s Centre
Ray-Cam
m Co-operative Centre
C
MacLean
n Park
T
The map on the
e next page illusstrates these asssets and otherss identified by workshop
w
particcipants through
h the public inpu
ut process.
P
Page 82
Important Community Places and Spaces Identified in Social Impact Assessment Public Input Process, 2012
Downtown Eastside Profile 2013
Page 83
Appendiix A: Vulne
erable Pop
pulations in
n the Down
ntown Eastside
A
As noted in the introduction to
o this documentt, achieving a healthy and equitable city for aall peoples in th
he Downtown Ea
astside
rrequires dispelling stereotypess about vulnerab
ble populationss while at the sa
ame time identiifying those to w
whom special a
attention
m
must be paid. This
T
section outlines some partticular areas of concern for me
embers of thesee communities.
W
Women
W
Women aged 15
5 and over in the Downtown Ea
astside have a significantly low
wer labour forcee participation rrate (42 per cen
nt) than
b
both women citty-wide (62 per cent) and male
es in the Downto
own Eastside (4
49 per cent). Deespite this, the median annuall income of
ffemale residentts ($18,601) is slightly
s
higher than male reside
ents ($17,949), but it is much lower than fem
male median inccome
ccitywide ($30,053).
IIn 2006, there were
w
460 female
e-headed lone-parent familiess in the Downtow
wn Eastside, prrimarily concenttrated in the
O
Oppenheimer and Strathcona sub-areas.
s
Seventeen per cent of all Downtow
wn Eastside censsus families fall into this categgory,
ccompared to 13
3 per cent of fam
milies citywide..68
W
Women in the Downtown
D
Eastsside face significant health and
d shelter-relate
ed challenges. T
Though female rresidents of the
e
D
Downtown Eastsside have a high
her life expecta
ancy than male residents (85 vs.
v 74 years),69 a number of disstinct health isssues have
b
been identified:
 Female injection
i
drug users
u
have a 40 per cent higher incidence of HIV
H than that off male injection
n drug users70
 Women report higher usage of many health services, such as pharma
acies, nursing ccare, physician ccare, ambulancces, and
h
and outrreach services;711
mental health
 Women are more likely
y to report poor treatment by health
h
care stafff and greater d
difficulty keepin
ng health-relate
ed
;72
ments
appointm
 Maternal health is a significant concerrn as the Downtown Eastside ha
as higher rates of stillbirth, infant death, low
w birth
y
of age, an
nd births to motthers 35 years o
of age or older tthan the
weight, pre-term birthss, births to motthers under 20 years
provincia
al averages.73
6
68
Census, 2006.
BC Ministry of Health,
H
Downtow
wn Eastside Core Health Services Profile,
P
July 2011
1.
7
70
City of Vancouv
ver Social Plannin
ng Department. A Social Profile and
a Assessment of the Social and H
Health Needs of Low Income Resiidents in
V
Vancouver’s Dow
wntown Eastside, 2004.
7
71
Ibid.
7
72
Ibid.
7
73
BC Ministry of Health,
H
Downtow
wn Eastside Core Health Services Profile,
P
July 2011
1.
6
69
P
Page 84
In a 2008 demographic study of Downtown Eastside SRO and social housing tenants, women were a minority in both types of
housing, but were considerably more likely to reside in social housing (44 per cent of respondents) than in SROs (20 per cent of
respondents). Female SRO residents are among the most vulnerable populations in the neighbourhood. In the 2008 study, they
were much more likely to suffer from a variety of health conditions, declining health and addictions, and to report higher usage of
several health services, supervised injection sites, and community centers than male SRO residents and both male and female
social housing residents. The top ranked identified needs reported by female SRO residents were housing, health and income,
while the top needs reported by female social housing residents were income, health and emotional support. 75
Though not confined to the Downtown Eastside, the estimated number of women who are homeless has slightly increased in
recent years from 333 (22 per cent of City of Vancouver homeless population) in 2010 to 347 (26 per cent) in 2012.77 Abuse and
family breakdown has been identified as the largest cause of homelessness among women.78
Women in the Downtown Eastside may face multiple barriers such as precarious housing, addiction and/or involvement in the sex
trade, and are particularly vulnerable to violence and exploitation. Women who are members of other marginalized or vulnerable
groups, such as Aboriginal women, may experience intersecting vulnerabilities and multiple forms of marginalization.
Women experience physical, mental, emotional and sexual violence. The missing and murdered women taken from the
neighbourhood since the 1980s number more than 60,79 and women continue to be particularly vulnerable. The Vancouver Police
Department’s SisterWatch Project is intended to combat violence against women through coordination, public outreach, a tip line
and town hall meetings.80
Children and Youth
As a result of the prevalence of low income persons (see section 1.1), child poverty is a significant issue. The proportion of
children under six years of age living in low income families in the Downtown Eastside is more than twice that of the City of
Vancouver, also discussed in section 1.6. It is well known that children who experience persistent poverty in their early years face
higher risks of health problems, developmental delays and behavioural disorders and are also more likely to have low incomes in
adulthood.81
75
Downtown Eastside Demographic Study of SRO and Social Housing Tenants, April 2008; VANDU. Me, I’m Living it, 2009.
City of Vancouver. Vancouver 2012 Homeless Count Results: Presentation to Council, May 29, 2012.
78
City of Vancouver Social Planning Department. A Social Profile and Assessment of the Social and Health Needs of Low Income Residents in
Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside, 2004.
79
W. T. Oppal. Forsaken, The Report of the Missing Women Commission of Inquiry Volume 1, 2012.
80
Vancouver Police Department Project Sister Watch website.
81
An indicator of the challenges children face in the Downtown Eastside is the high proportion of vulnerabilities (measured using the Early
Development Instrument) in kindergarten children affecting school readiness seen in section 1.6. SPARC. The Cost of Poverty in BC, 2011.
77
Downtown Eastside Profile 2013
Page 85
IIn addition to yo
oung people liv
ving with their families
f
or guardians in the Dow
wntown Eastsid
de, there are also youth and yo
oung adults
lliving on their own
o
in SROs, supportive housin
ng units and on the streets of the
t Downtown EEastside. In the 2012 Homelesss Count,
tthere were 164 homeless youth
h under the age
e of 25 in Vanco
ouver—12 per ce
ent of the totall number of peo
ople counted.
SSeniors
SSeniors are a ra
apidly growing population
p
throu
ughout Vancouvver and across Canada.
C
The Doowntown Eastsid
de has long bee
en home to
a higher than av
verage proportiion of adults over the age of 65
5. In 2006, therre were 3,740 seeniors in the Do
owntown Eastside,
iincluding nearly
y 700 aged 85 and over. Altoge
ether, seniors make
m
up about 21
2 per cent of t he population, compared with
h 13 per
82
8
ccent city-wide.
SSeniors living in
n the Downtown
n Eastside face greater
g
levels of
o poverty than other areas of Vancouver. Wh
hile seniors’ inco
omes have
b
been increasing
g on a national level
l
and the pe
ercentage of se
eniors with low incomes has deeclined sharply,83 well over hallf of
D
Downtown Eastsside seniors rem
main low income
e.84
A
Around 1,800 se
eniors live alone
e in the Downto
own Eastside, and they are more likely to be llow income tha
an are seniors livving in
85
ffamilies. Senio
ors aged 65 and
d over in the Downtown Eastsid
de are more tha
an twice as like ly to live alone than seniors livving in
o
other parts of the city (55 per cent in the Dow
wntown Eastside
e vs. 29 per cen
nt city-wide).86 These seniors a
are also more liikely to be
87
iisolated from th
heir communitie
es and prone to
o accidents and falls.
T
Though only a small
s
number off seniors are fullly homeless, se
eniors are especcially vulnerablee to the risk of homelessness. A high
p
percentage of the
t seniors who are homeless and seniors who
o live in SROs re
eport poor heallth status, inclu
uding medical conditions,
m
mental illness, physical disabillities and addicttions.88
SSeniors who spe
eak limited or no
n English face additional
a
challlenges to their health
h
and indeependence, inclluding difficultyy accessing
ttranslation and culturally-apprropriate service
es.89 Within the Downtown Easttside, a large nuumber of Chine
ese-speaking sen
niors live
iin or near China
atown and rely heavily on its sh
hops, services and
a social netw
works to meet thheir everyday needs.
A
Aboriginal Elderrs are highly impacted by pove
erty, health issu
ues and the effe
ects of residenttial schools.90 A number of Abo
original
ggroups that prov
vide support for Elders are con
ncentrated in th
he Downtown Eastside.
8
82
Census, 2006.
City of Vancouv
ver Social Policy Group. Seniors in
n Vancouver, Octtober 2010.
8
84
Census, 2006.
8
85
City of Vancouv
ver Social Policy Group. Seniors in
n Vancouver, Octtober 2010.
8
86
Census, 2006.
8
87
City of Vancouv
ver Social Plannin
ng Department. A Social Profile and
a Assessment of the Social and H
Health Needs of Low Income Resiidents in
V
Vancouver’s Dow
wntown Eastside, 2004.
8
88
Ibid.
8
89
City of Vancouv
ver Social Policy Group. Seniors in
n Vancouver, Octtober 2010.
8
83
P
Page 86
Aboriginal People
Even given a higher population in the Downtown Eastside, Aboriginal people are routinely overrepresented in vulnerable groups:



Aboriginal people comprise 15 per cent of SRO residents in the Downtown Eastside.91
In 2012, 32 per cent of the sheltered and unsheltered homeless were Aboriginal.92
A quarter of the Downtown Eastside’s injection drug users are estimated to identify as Aboriginal.93
Aboriginal People in the Downtown Eastside are also disproportionately affected by health challenges, including:



greater risk of HIV infection, particularly among drug users;
higher rates of diabetes, particularly among Aboriginal women;
higher rates of alcoholism.94
Aboriginal women are among the most marginalized in the Downtown Eastside and are particularly vulnerable to violence.
One third of the missing and murdered women taken from the Downtown Eastside were Aboriginal.95 Aboriginal women
disproportionately experience violence and marginalization, and are overrepresented in the survival sex trade.
New Immigrants
While the Downtown Eastside has relatively fewer new immigrants than the City of Vancouver as a whole, new immigrants face
particular challenges. These newcomers often struggle to enter the job market and find affordable housing, and a
disproportionate number of recent immigrant households are considered to be at high risk of homelessness as they spend more
than 50% of their income on housing. 96
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and Questioning (LGBTQ) People
While it is not known how many LGBTQ identifying people live in the Downtown Eastside, it is clear that there is a
disproportionate number of LGBTQ homeless or street-involved youth. A 2002 survey of homeless or at risk of homeless youth in
90
Ibid.
Downtown Eastside Demographic Study of SRO and Social Housing Tenants, April 2008.
92
City of Vancouver Homeless Count, 2012.
93
Canadian Community Epidemiology Network on Drug Use. Vancouver Drug Use Epidemiology, June 2005.
94
City of Vancouver Social Planning Department. A Social Profile and Assessment of the Social and Health Needs of Low Income Residents in
Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside, 2004.
95
W. T. Oppal. Forsaken, The Report of the Missing Women Commission of Inquiry Volume 1, 2012.
96
Hiebert et al, ‘The Housing Situation and Needs of Recent Immigrants in the Vancouver Metropolitan Area,’ Metropolis British Columbia
Working Paper Series.
91
Downtown Eastside Profile 2013
Page 87
V
Vancouver found that 33 per cent of youth 19
9 and younger and 24 per cent of youth 19 to 25 years old ide
entified as LGBT
TQ97,
98
m
much higher tha
an the number of LGBTQ-identtifying youth in the entire popu
ulation. LGBT
TQ street youth are more likelyy to be
ssexually exploitted than their heterosexual
h
peers.99
L
Low Income Singles
M
Many Downtown
n Eastside residents live alone (46 per cent vss. 17 per cent citywide). The p
proportion of pe
eople living alon
ne ranges
ffrom a low of 21 per cent in Sttrathcona, wherre much of the housing stock iss in the form off detached housses and self-con
ntained
a
apartments, to a high of 78 pe
er cent in Victorry Square, wherre many residen
nts live in Singlee Room Occupancy buildings.
T
The median income for people
e living alone in the Downtown Eastside is lesss than half that of people living alone across tthe city.100
L
Low income peo
ople living alone
e are particularrly vulnerable as
a they must relly on a single inncome and cann
not pool resourcces with
o
other household
d members. Obttaining affordab
ble and adequate housing can be a serious ch allenge, especiially for those w
who are on
iincome assistan
nce.
L
Low Income Families
F
T
Though the Dow
wntown Eastside
e is characterize
ed by a large po
opulation of old
der adults livingg alone, there a
are many families with
a
and without chiildren that call the area home.. Most families live in the Stratthcona neighboourhood where h
housing units arre larger.
F
Families living in
i the Downtow
wn Eastside have
e lower median incomes than families
f
living inn other areas of Vancouver and more
tthan a quarter fall
f below the low income thre
eshold after tax
x.101 Over 45 perr cent of femalee headed lone-parent familiess in the
D
Downtown Eastsside are low inc
come. Although there are far fewer
f
of them, male headed loone-parent families fare slightly worse,
w
with half falling
g under the low
w income threshold.102
O
Obtaining afford
dable housing that is large eno
ough for severall people is challenging for low income familie
es, especially in
n the
D
Downtown Eastsside, where mu
uch of the afford
dable and non-m
market housing stock is geared
d toward single adults and seniors. In
2
2011, there werre 886 units of non-market hou
using for familie
es in the Downttown Eastside, aamounting to ju
ust 13 per cent of total
103
n
non-market stoc
ck in the neighb
bourhood.
9
97
McCreary Centre Society, No Place to Call Home
e: A Profile of Strreet Youth in Brittish Columbia andd Between the Cracks: Homeless Youth in
V
Vancouver. 2002.. In 2009, 66 per cent of street involved youth rep
ported the Downttown Eastside as their place of residence . B. S Ra
achels. High
R
Rates of Homelesssness Among a Cohort
C
of Street-Involved Youth, 2009.
2
9
98
A 2008 McCreary Centre Society
y Adolescent Hea
alth Survey found that less than 3 per cent of BC yyouth in grades 7 to 12 identify ass gay,
llesbian or bisexua
al. An estimate of
o youth identifyiing as transgende
er is unavailable from
f
this survey..
9
99
Jenna Owsianik
k. Out of the closset and onto the streets: Young, gay
g and homelesss in Vancouver, 22011.
1
100
2006 Census
1
101
Census, 2006.
1
102
Census, 2006.
1
103
City of Vancou
uver. Downtown Eastside
E
Key Hou
using Facts, 2012,,
P
Page 88
Renters
The Downtown Eastside is overwhelmingly a neighbourhood of renters. Almost 90 per cent of households are rented, compared to
slightly over half city-wide.105
Renters are a socio-economically varied group and the above numbers include higher-income renters in the neighbourhood’s
newer condo buildings and converted loft apartments. Overall, renters in the Downtown Eastside are more likely than both owners
in the neighbourhood and renters throughout the city to spend more than 30 per cent of their household income on housing. 106
In contrast to other neighbourhoods in the city with high renter populations, the Downtown Eastside has a significant number of
renters living in Single-Room Occupancy buildings (SROs). These renters are typically very low income and face a unique set of
barriers with regard to housing affordability and security. For low income renters experiencing affordability challenges in the
Downtown Eastside, there are few places to turn for lower cost housing.
Single Room Occupancy (SRO) Tenants
SRO units in rooming houses and residential hotels are a very basic and low cost form of housing provided by the private and
public market. Rooms are usually about ten by ten feet in size and do not have private bathrooms or cooking facilities beyond
hotplates. While SROs used to exist in several Vancouver neighbourhoods, the remaining units are overwhelmingly concentrated in
the Downtown Eastside. As of 2011, there were 3,975 market SRO units and 1,522 non-market units in 155 buildings in the
Downtown Eastside, illustrated in section 1.4.107 Many SROs are run-down and suffer from pest and rodent infestations, and
inspections routinely reveal unsafe living conditions.108
Residents of SROs are typically very low income and are unable to afford self-contained units in the conventional rental market. In
a 2008 survey, 77 per cent reported annual incomes of $15,000 or less.109 Unless they can obtain non-market housing, SROs are
often the last option before homelessness.110 Private SRO residents are vulnerable to rent increases that can exceed the shelter
component of social assistance income or otherwise impact their ability to afford the unit. The proportion of SRO units renting at
105
Census, 2006.
Census, 2006. The 30% mark is a commonly accepted definition of housing affordability. Households spending at above this threshold are
considered to be at risk.
107
City of Vancouver Housing Policy. 2009 Survey of Low-Income Housing in the Downtown Core, April 2010.
108
Downtown Eastside Demographic Study of SRO and Social Housing Tenants, April 2008.
109
Downtown Eastside Demographic Study of SRO and Social Housing Tenants, April 2008.
110
City of Vancouver. Downtown Eastside Community Monitoring Report, 2005/06.
106
Downtown Eastside Profile 2013
Page 89
o
or below the social assistance shelter rate hass been decreasiing—in 2011, 27
7 per cent of prrivate SROs were
e renting at thiis rate. All
p
public SRO unitss rent at $375.111
1
L
Living in substandard housing impacts
i
health and wellbeing.112
In a 2008 surrvey, a third of SRO residents ssurveyed had a mental
h
health illness an
nd a third had a drug addiction
n.
H
Homeless Peo
ople
W
While homelessness is a serious issue across Metro
M
Vancouver, a significant number of hom
meless people re
eside in the Dow
wntown
E
Eastside, with many
m
more trav
veling to the neiighbourhood on
n a regular basiss to access supp
port services that may not be a
available
iin their own com
mmunities.113
IIn 2012, the Dow
wntown Eastsid
de homeless pop
pulation was esttimated to be around
a
846 peop
ple.114 Most hom
meless people sstruggle
w
with mental and
d physical healtth issues. Many people not currently homelesss are at risk of homelessness.
P
People with Disabilities
D
P
People with phy
ysical disabilitie
es face significa
ant barriers to employment
e
and
d to obtaining hhousing that is both affordable
e and
a
accessible. A sin
ngle person on disability assisttance receives $531.42
$
supportt and $375 for sshelter per mon
nth. There are 3
3,193
rresidents receiv
ving disability assistance in the
e V6A postal cod
de; 115 cases incclude people deeemed unable tto work as a ressult of
m
mental and phy
ysical barriers.
P
People affectted by Mental Illness
M
Mental health isssues are prevalent in the Dow
wntown Eastside
e, but it is difficcult to determinne how many re
esidents are afffected.
M
Mental illness may
m go undiagno
osed and are often inextricablyy linked with po
overty and subsstance abuse. Itt is estimated th
hat one in
ffive residents su
uffer from mental illness.116
1
111
Total SRO unitts include public and private. All public units rent at the social assistance shelter ra
rate ($375) and 27
7% of private SRO
O units rent
a
at this rate—toge
ether 47 per centt of Downtown Ea
astside units rent at the shelter ra
ate. The averagee rent of a private
e SRO is $416. Citty of
V
Vancouver. Down
ntown Eastside Ke
ey Housing Facts,, 2012.
1
112
Hwang SW, Wiilkins R, Tjepkem
ma M, O’Campo PJ, Dunn JR. Morttality among resid
dents of shelters,, rooming housess, and hotels in C
Canada: 11
yyear follow-up study. BMJ 2009;33
39:b4036.
1
113
City of Vancou
uver Social Planning Department. A Social Profile and
a Assessment of
o the Social and Health Needs off Low Income Ressidents in
V
Vancouver’s Dow
wntown Eastside, 2004.
1
114
The homeless count representss an undercount of
o the total popu
ulation. Homelesss people in shelteers and on the street are counted
d. Some
p
people may be missed
m
in the coun
nt. Those who are
e staying with friiends, family or in a car are unlike
kely to be capture
ed in this count.
1
115
V6A does not include
i
Victory Square and parts of
o Gastown. Its boundaries
b
are Cllark, Carrall and Great Northern W
Way. Ministry of Social
D
Development, 2013.
1
116
City of Vancou
uver. Housing Pla
an for the Downto
own Eastside, October 2005.
P
Page 90
As compared to people living in other parts of Vancouver and throughout the province, residents of the Downtown Eastside have a
higher rate of depression and anxiety.117 In 2009-10, 7,588 Downtown Eastside residents received mental health and/or substance
use services from a general practitioner and mental health issues were the most common reason for hospitalization.118
Drug Users
An estimated 4,700 injection drug users resided in the Downtown Eastside in 2003.119 These individuals are among the most
vulnerable in the Downtown Eastside as they often face multiple barriers to health and life stability. As seen in section 1.5, there
are proportionally more alcohol and drug-related deaths in the Downtown Eastside Local Health Area than across the City.120
Many drug users are homeless or at risk of homelessness. Among participants in a large, ongoing study of Vancouver drug users,
almost 70 per cent lived in unstable housing (including shelter/hostel, treatment/recovery house, jail, SRO, and street) in 2007,
including 25 per cent who were outright homeless.121
Survival Sex Workers
Survival sex workers—those whose urgent need for food, money or other basic needs prevent them from exercising their right to
refuse to perform sexual acts—are among the most marginalized populations in our society. Sex workers identify as male, female
and/or transgender, and come from a variety of backgrounds. It is difficult to determine exact numbers, but there may be 1,500
to 2,000 street level sex workers in Vancouver, with many working in the Downtown Eastside.122 The stigma of sex work makes
these individuals more vulnerable to violence and marginalization, and prevents these individuals from accessing health care
services.123
117
BC Ministry of Health. Downtown Eastside Core Health Services Profile, July 2011.
Ibid.
119
Capture recapture analysis performed by Vancouver Costal Health (VCH), 2003.
120
Vancouver Coastal Health, 2012.
121
City of Vancouver Social Planning Department. A Social Profile and Assessment of the Social and Health Needs of Low Income Residents in
Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside, 2004.
122
Sarah Stenabaugh, ‘Silent Cries: Vancouver sex workers continue to fight for services and support’, Megaphone Magazine, 2009; MAKA
Project.
123
Lisa Lazarus et al, “Occupational Stigma as Primary Barrier to Health Care for Street-Based Sex Workers in Canada”, Cult Health Sex 2012.
118
Downtown Eastside Profile 2013
Page 91
Glossary
G
A
Aboriginal Iden
ntity: Refers to people who rep
ported identifying with at leastt one Aboriginaal group, that iss, North America
an Indian,
M
Métis or Inuit, and/or
a
those wh
ho reported being a Treaty Ind
dian or a Registe
ered Indian, as defined by the Indian Act of C
Canada,
a
and/or those who reported the
ey were membe
ers of an Indian band or First Nation.
N
C
Cultural Worke
ers: Includes cre
eative, production, technical and
a managemen
nt occupations iin the areas of broadcasting, ffilm and
vvideo, sound recording, perforrming arts, publlishing, printing
g, libraries, arch
hives, heritage,, architecture a
and design.
E
Extreme Weath
her Response Shelter:
S
A temp
porary space tha
at is made availlable to people who are homelless during situa
ations
w
where sleeping outside might threaten
t
their health
h
and safety. These temp
porary shelters aare made availa
able from appro
oximately
N
November 1 to March 31.
H
Home Language
e: Refers to the
e language spok
ken most often or
o on a regular basis at home b
by the individua
al at the time o
of the
ccensus.
H
Homeless perso
on: A person wh
ho does not payy rent for a hom
me. A homeless person may sleeep in a shelter,, the street, a ccar, a
ffriend’s house or
o other location.
H
Household: Reffers to a person
n or a group of persons
p
(other than
t
foreign ressidents) who occcupy the same dwelling and do not have
a usual place off residence else
ewhere in Canad
da. It may consiist of a family group
g
(census faamily) with or w
without other p
persons,
ttwo or more fam
milies sharing a dwelling, a gro
oup of unrelated
d persons, or on
ne person livingg alone.
IImmigrant: Reffers to people who
w are, or have
e been, landed immigrants in Canada.
C
A landeed immigrant iss a person who has been
ggranted the righ
ht to live in Can
nada permanenttly by immigrattion authorities..
IInformal Econo
omy: Economic sectors that are
e not taxed or monitor
m
and at times discouragged. It includess work such as b
binning and
vvending.
L
Live/Work: Also
o known as “arttist live/work sttudios”. Combin
nes “living” and
d “working” in tthe same premiises. The type o
of work
a
activity varies from
f
commercia
al (e.g. childcarre, music teach
her, software de
eveloper), indusstrial (e.g. jewe
eller, recordingg studio,
w
woodwork), or artist
a
(e.g. pain
nter or photogra
aphy) work.
L
Local Area Plan
nning Process (LAPP):
(
A comm
munity plan for a thirty year pe
eriod, defining tthe desired futu
ure for the com
mmunities,
tthe priorities, the actions and projects requirred to achieve improved qualitty of life for thee people of the Downtown Easttside.
L
Low Income: There are multip
ple measures of low income use
ed in this reporrt. They includee:

P
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Low Inco
ome Cut Off (LICO): Relative measure
m
of low income
i
status. Describes a houusehold that spends over 20 pe
ercentage
points on a median goods basket. LIM varies
v
by familyy size, community size and taxx.


Low Income Measure (LIM): Relative measure of low income status. Describes a household that learns less than half of
median income.
Market Basket Measure (MBM): Absolute measure of low income status. The disposable income needed for a basket of
goods.
Low Income Household: Determined by Statistics Canada as those households that qualify for Low Income Cut-off (LICO). LICO is
the income level below which a family spends 20 per cent more of its income on necessities (food, shelter and clothing) than the
average family does.
Mode of Transportation: Main means a person uses to travel between home and place of work (by car, on foot, on public transit,
or by some other means). The Census of Population tracks mode of transportation according to commute to work.
Neighbourhood House (Association of Neighbourhood Houses of British Columbia): A non-profit organization that provides
programs and services that are locally-based but also supportive of Metro Vancouver and provincial initiatives.
Private Household: Person or group of persons occupying the same dwelling.
Single Occupancy Room (SRO): SRO units are small rooms, usually in privately owned and managed buildings, with shared
bathrooms. Most of the buildings containing SROs were built before the First World War.124
Single-Detached House: A building that does not share an inside wall with any other house or dwelling that is usually occupied by
just one household or family and consists of just one dwelling unit or suite.
Social Assistance: Also known as welfare. A government transfer managed by the Ministry of Human and Social Development.
Types of social assistance include: child in home of relative, expected to work, expected to work (medical condition), long term
care, medical services only, no employment options, old age security, persons with persistent multiple barriers and persons with
disabilities.
Social Enterprise: A business that operates with the intention of improving social, economic and/or environmental wellbeing.
Social Housing: Social housing is housing owned or operated by a non-profit or government with a range of rents up to low end of
market.
Social Impact Assessment (SIA): A study to review the impact of future development on the existing low income residents of the
Downtown Eastside. Involved community input, literature reviews and data analysis.
Supportive Housing: Housing linked to support services and often, but not always funded by government. Supportive housing may
be market or non-market housing. Services can include meals, housekeeping, personal care, lifeskills training and support, and
other services. Supportive housing can be provided to individuals living in their own apartments/rooms in social housing projects
124
Housing Plan for the Downtown Eastside. City of Vancouver. 2005.
Downtown Eastside Profile 2013
Page 93
o
or SROs and who receive suppo
orts on an individual basis, or to
t groups of peo
ople who have ssimilar needs and who live in a building
w
which has been designed to provide the comm
mon facilities an
nd staff offices need by the paarticular popula
ation.125
T
Tenure: Refers to whether som
me member of the
t household owns
o
or rents th
he dwelling or w
whether the dw
welling is band h
housing (on
a
an Indian reserv
ve or settlemen
nt).
V
Vulnerable: A population
p
at grreat risk of poor health conditiions and wellbe
eing. Risk may b
be due to socio--economic cond
ditions,
ggender, ethnicitty and a host off other facts. Chapter 1 (Healtthy People) desccribes vulnerab
ble groups in the
e Downtown Ea
astside.
W
Welfare: See So
ocial Assistance
e.
1
125
Housing Plan for
f the Downtown
n Eastside. City of
o Vancouver. 200
05.
P
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References and Further Reading
BC Ministry of Health, Downtown Eastside Core Health Services Profile, July 2011.
City of Vancouver Social Planning Department. A Social Profile and Assessment of the Social and Health Needs of Low Income
Residents in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside, 2004.
City of Vancouver Metropolitan Core Business Survey—Phase One. City of Vancouver. IPSOS Reid. 2005.
Downtown Eastside Housing Plan. City of Vancouver, 2005
Downtown Eastside Local Area Profile. City of Vancouver, 2012.
Downtown Eastside Vancouver Retail Capacity Study. City of Vancouver. Hudema Consulting, 2005.
Powell Street/Port Lands and Powell Street/Clark Drive Industrial Areas Study. City of Vancouver. Harris Consulting and
CitySpaces Consulting Ltd. 2007.
The Gastown Heritage Management Plan. City of Vancouver. The Spaxman Consulting Group. 2001.
Victory Square Policy Plan. City of Vancouver. 2005.
Downtown Eastside Demographic Study of SRO and Social Housing Tenants. City of Vancouver, April 2008.
VANDU. Me, I’m Living it, 2009.
We’re All Pedestrians. Downtown Eastside Pedestrian Safety Project—Final Report. VANDU, 2010.
For updates on the Local Area Planning process, please visit the City of Vancouver Downtown Eastside Local Area Plan webpage:
vancouver.ca/dteslapp
Downtown Eastside Profile 2013
Page 95