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		Housing Policy

Single Room Accommodation (SRA) By-law

On October 21, 2003, Vancouver City Council enacted the Single Room Accommodation By-law (PDF, 167KB). This By-law manages the rate of change of low-income housing in Vancouver’s Downtown Core. Single room accommodation includes single room occupancy hotels (known as SROs), rooming houses and non-market projects with rooms less than 320 square feet. Affected owners are required to obtain approval from Council to demolish or convert SRA designated rooms. The by-law is a response to a number of factors:

Increasing development pressures in the downtown core;
The provincial government’s cancellation of the Homes BC program; and,
Council’s commitment (vis-à-vis its role as a signatory to the Inclusive Intent Statement) to the goal of ensuring no evictions occur as a result to the 2010 Winter and Paralympic Winter Games.

On December 15, 2009, Council enacted the following amendments to the Single Room Accomodation By-law (PDF, 167KB):

allowing an owner or operator of an SRA building to rent a room on a non-monthly basis only as permitted by the Chief License Inspector in emergency situations;
eliminating the opportunity for commercial hotels to apply for exemption;
allowing for accessory or amenity spaces to not be subject to conversion requirements;
allowing an owner to fulfill the conditions of approval for an SRA Conversion/Demolition Permit within the later of 12 months after receiving notice of those conditions and the date the development permit lapses; and
other housekeeping amendments.

The list of properties designated under the SRA By-law can be found in Schedule A (PDF, 469KB) to the SRA By-law.

SRA By-Law Fact Sheet (PDF, 47KB)

Frequently Asked Questions (PDF, 61KB)

Minutes of Public Meeting on the 2009 Amendments (PDF, 25KB)

Minutes of Public Meeting on the 2007 Amendments (January 25 & May 1, 2007)

Minutes of the Public Meeting on the Proposed SRA By-law (October 8, 9, 2003)

Inclusive Intent Statement - 2010 Vancouver Olympic Bid (PDF, 85KB)

**Reports to Vancouver City Council**
2009/10/21	Single Room Accommodation (SRA) By-law Status Update and Amendments
2006/11/30	Single Room Accommodation (SRA) By-law Status Report
2003/10/21	Revisions to the proposed Single Room Accommodation By-law
2003/09/21	Regulation of Single Room Accommodation

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Questions or Comments? E-mail: housing@vancouver.ca