City of Vancouver proposes 5 sites to replace supportive housing on Granville
Posted July 3, 2025 6:28 pm.
The City of Vancouver says it has taken the next steps toward moving supportive housing away from the Granville Entertainment District.
Mayor Ken Sim says his office has provided a list of five sites, all owned by the city, that could replace the three facilities — the St. Helen’s Hotel at 1161 Granville, Luugat at 1176 Granville, and Granville Villa, located at 1025 Granville facilities — that are currently being used in the area.
“The sites submitted to the province by the City of Vancouver are for five smaller-scale facilities, each with 55-65 units,” Sim said.
“This model is consistent with best practices, allowing for more focused care and better outcomes, in contrast with the warehousing approach that we have seen with the existing three sites.”
Sim says the three facilities have a total of 283 units between them, which were responsible for 1,364 police calls for service in 2024 alone.
“Additionally, between January 2020 and May 2025, the Luugat and St. Helen’s Hotel experienced 74 fires and were the subject of 2,203 calls to Vancouver Fire Rescue Services — an astronomically high number when compared to other buildings of similar occupancy,” he said.
Sim announced in June that the city had formed an emergency “task force” to address street disorder along the Granville Strip, confirming that the supportive housing would be moved out of the area. At the time, he said the city would support supportive housing projects that are capped at 40 units or provide on-site security.
— With files from Charlie Carey.
