BC Housing has battled bedbugs in 43 of 49 of its own developments throughout the Lower Mainland in the past year.
All but one of BC Housing’s 31 directly-managed sites in Vancouver coastal region were sprayed to prevent the spread of the pests, while 13 of 18 developments in the Fraser region were sprayed, according to information provided to the Sun by the ministry responsible for housing.
The ministry said it doesn’t track specific numbers of active bedbug cases because infestations can vary depending on weather and other factors.
In response to questions submitted to BC Housing about infestations at social housing developments, the ministry said BC Housing has approved additional resources to combat the problem, including new mobile heat treatment trailers which are used to eliminate bedbugs on tenants’ furniture and other possessions.
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They are in the final stages of training staff to operate the new equipment, said a ministry spokeswoman in an email.
She also noted that some newer developments which are run by third party non-profit organizations have been outfitted with permanent bed bug sauna rooms to treat infested furnishings.
The hot rooms are located at the Lux on East Hastings, the Station Street building, and Maxxine Wright in Surrey, the spokeswoman said.
A number of SRO hotels such as Walton and Orwell hotels in Vancouver, and New Westminster’s Russell Place – which are also managed by non-profits – have been retrofitted with saunas, she noted.
The spread of bed bugs in the Metro Vancouver affects more than just social housing developments, said Tom Durning, a spokesman for the Tenant Resource and Advisory Centre (TRAC) in Vancouver.
Social housing and rentals of all kinds across most neighbourhoods are facing infestations these days, he said. “It’s everywhere.”
One of the problems unique to BC Housing is that many of its tenants struggle to prepare their homes for what can be frequent spray treatments, Durning said.
Seniors and physically or mentally disabled tenants often can’t move their furniture on their own or arrange a place to spend the day, he said.
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