It appears that the B.C. provincial government paid more than half a million dollars over two months to keep two tenants in a Vancouver SRO hotel.
Two tenants were the last people staying in the 140-room Colonial Hotel after the B.C. government shut it down.
The province now says that Atira, which was managing the SRO, received $3.9 million from BC Housing during the fiscal year ending on March 31.
That breaks down to $325,000 a month, including in March when the occupancy had dwindled to just two tenants.
Atira also received an additional $222,000 in April to support a wind-down of operations with the same two residents remaining.
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That equals $547,000 for two months to oversee two tenants.
“The problem with this is simply that those two tenants that are currently residing in this building, of course, need to have access to safe shelter, that’s not negotiable,” Claire Rattée, B.C.’s Mental Health, Addictions and Housing Support Critic, said.
“The problem is that I can’t wrap my head around is at what cost. This is an insane cost to shelter two people.”
One of the last two tenants has now moved to alternate housing and the other resident, who the government says is a pre-existing tenant of the original landlord, is refusing to move.
The B.C. government said it shut down the Colonial because the building’s owner was not maintaining it properly.
Global News has offered Atira an open invitation for an interview regarding its involvement with the Colonial Hotel, but has yet to hear back.
It’s way past time for Atira to open their books and show us exactly what they have been spending the hundreds of thousands of tax dollars on that they receive for their “services” every single month.
That money is CLEARLY is not being spent on any upkeep/maintenance of the SROs they are being paid to run. So where IS it going to?
This is far from the first time Atira has been involved in questionable actions with the government funding they receive. It is time to stop throwing public money at groups like Atira who operate without any oversight or accountability for how they use that money.
They could literally buy couple freaking houses. If this not a corruption, then what is this?
What the faq is this 🧐
the tenant is also a real jerk. had to deal with a tenant like this recently. long story, but was a real jerk. more important than everyone else.
Was their an attempt to contact the slum lord who owns the building as well?
Human garbage, take the trash out in any means possible.
Hold on. People in B.C are actually surprised to hear about this? Considering their tax dollars have been used to give free drugs to anyone that asked for the past few years.
Become an instant trillionaire, with government waste
Not surprised, Canada doesn’t enforce law. Canada enforces peoples feelings! Smh
Wow they could have rented houses for less.
Give the bureacrat that is responsible for this a big raise. After all, they need to compete with the private sector for the “best and the brightest” people. Just kidding…but we hear that everytime there is atrageous salaries reported and we keep seeing stuff like this happen.
Why not just buy them a house😳 I mean realllly ridiculous, u telling British Columbia tax payers are paying for this? I’ve been paying taxes for 51 years, and my 5 hard working children, who have children if their own, are paying taxes …..for this insanity….really????
For that kind of money, you can put these two people in a 5 stars hotel with 3 fine dining meals each day.
how much is spent on fresh immigrants that arrive in B.C
Would appear to be a BC government problem. Why would you continue to pay for this? I guess when your writing a cheque that isn’t coming out of your own account you just don’t care. Sadly this is typical bureaucracy.
Bravo ! This is the way to spent taxpayers money !
Atira is corrupt
As well as who
Signed off on
This scam.
Non profits are
Scam artists.
A taser and pepper spray and 3 months going cold turkey and dry in jail for trespassing and they will be more than happy with whatever new accommodation they get next.
And people wonder why this Govt has put BC billions into debt?
Go figure eh!!
2 people and $500k not including welfare, social services, extra support and whatever else they get. Must be about $750k tied up in these two, Think about where else money could have gone and help!!
Oh and how much of that went to advocates and poverty industry.
Christine Boyle strikes again! Gross mismanagement equals incompetence. Time to remove her and the rest of the Lefties out of government.
Strong and FREE
Happy to remain