B.C.’s purchase of Chinatown assisted living home not enough: advocate
Posted August 2, 2023 9:34 pm.
Last Updated August 4, 2023 6:08 pm.
The B.C. government announced Wednesday it bought an assisted living home in Vancouver’s Chinatown to keep it affordable for seniors, but an advocate says buying 33 units does nothing for over a thousand Chinese seniors needing affordable and culturally aware homes.
“This building was I think created in 2006 and BC Housing has been subsidizing rents — i.e. giving the owner money — for the last 17 years or so. Meanwhile, there’s no money actually being put into purchasing bigger buildings or making new ones,” said Vince Tao, a community organizer and advocate in Chinatown.
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The provincial government bought Harmony House for $16 million dollars. Tao says the privately owned land at 105 Keefer Street would have been a better investment.
The Keefer Street development has been contentious in the community, but some were fighting to have it turned into housing for seniors.
“As long as they continue to allow private developers like Beedie to build these condos, the long-term net effect is going to be a loss of not only units but also grocery stores, medicine stores, everything Chinese seniors in this neighbourhood need to survive.”
An advocate says the B.C. government’s purchase of an assisted living home in Vancouver’s Chinatown says this purchase doesn’t make much of a difference. (Sarah Chew, CityNews Image)
S.U.C.C.E.S.S. operates HARMONY HOUSE and partnered with the B.C. government for the purchase. The chair of the board says he’s happy with the investment because it means stable housing for generations to come.
“I think 33 units for the people living here is significant progress. Obviously, we’ll continue to work with the province to create more housing opportunities for everybody,” said Terry Yung.
Meanwhile, 92-year-old Ada Chang has lived at Harmony House for 13 years, and she tells CityNews she’s happy to have the stability moving forward.
“At my age that I can still continue to live here, I feel so grateful.”
Chang’s daughter echoed her mother’s sentiment, saying she’s grateful that her mom is guaranteed continued care where she lives now.
“It’s ease of mind for them as well, they don’t have to worry about having to be bumped to different places.”
