

The Special Enterprise Program (SEP), approved by Council in January 2021, is a five year pilot that aims to preserve and strengthen the cultural diversity, long-term viability, and economic opportunity of heritage businesses, social enterprises, and non-profit organizations in Chinatown and the Downtown Eastside.
The purpose of this program
- Attract and prevent the displacement of heritage and community-serving businesses, cultural organizations, non-profit organizations, and social enterprises in the Downtown Eastside
- Enhance the capacity of the small business sector to adapt to the current business environment and improve operations
- Assist property owners (non-profit or for-profit with a social purpose) in activating their vacant spaces with businesses or other activities that align with permitted uses, current policies, and respond to community needs.
Key program outcomes
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Program components
We are working with community partners and a staff technical team (led by the Downtown Eastside Neighbourhood Planning group) to implement the three strategic components with the assistance of community partners (“implementers”):
Components | Implementer | Description |
---|---|---|
Capacity building | Vancouver Chinatown Foundation | Provision of supports to build the resilience and capacity of small businesses, non-profits, and social enterprises in Chinatown. |
Affordable spaces | Community Impact Real Estate Society | Activation of vacant and under-utilized spaces in the Downtown Eastside and Oppenheimer District to support small community-serving activities, cultural organizations, non-profits, and social enterprises. |
Community-serving business in Chinese Benevolent Society buildings | Strathcona Business Improvement Association | Curation and tenanting of affordable spaces to enable community-serving retail in Chinese Society buildings. |
Related documents
September 22, 2021