Renoviction roller coaster for Vancouver man ends with Pyrrhic victory

WATCH: The lone holdout in a Vancouver “renoviction” had to leave his home today, even though he won a key battle with a developer. John Daly reports.

This afternoon, Mohammad Valayati was in a celebratory mood.

“It’s a victory for everyone,” he said at a rally marking a judge’s ruling that allowed to stay in the Clifton Hotel.

Residents in the aging building, a 74-room SRO, were slowly evicted over the last year so the owner could make renovations. A number of them received $3,000 bonuses to leave.

But not Valayati. He stayed after everyone else left – even when his power and water were turned off.

“I’ve been here since March 2013. I got used to my neighbours. There as a very beautiful community here,” he said.

Housing advocates in the Downtown Eastside rallied to his cause, claiming the new rent would be too high for low-income residents.

“This has already happened in at least 23 other hotels in the Downtown Eastside, where the rents are now over $500 a month for one little room,” said Jean Swanson, a coordinator for the Carnegie Community Action Project.

“It’s one of the main reasons why Vancouver had the highest homeless count it’s ever had last year – because people are being renovicted from SROs.”

READ MORE: Vancouver mayor doesn’t reach 2015 homeless goal

On June 12, BC’s Residential Tenancy Branch ordered the landlord provide Valayati immediate possession of the rental unit, unfettered access to the main entrance, and essential services, including light and water.

“He had attempted to take every illegal course of action to bar me from this building. But he didn’t succeed,” said Valayati.

Hours later however, city staff showed up. The building had been declared unsafe for human habitation, overturning the court decision.

“I have an hour to leave the building,” Valayati said morosely.

“This morning justice prevailed, but right now I’m now feeling justice is open to interpretation.”