Lucky Lodge Lives Up To Its Name

Vancouver single room occupancy hotels have been steadily disappearing for years, and to generalize, each closed down room equals one more person living on our east side streets. Even if you're a heartless bastard who doesn't care, certainly you must be concerned that scruffy destitute people will look bad for our Olympic image, and that desperate people might break into your car despite the blinking alarm. The latest hotel to have faced the axe, and the first to survive it is the Lucky Lodge, Aa hotel which was targeted in fall by Project Haven, a (very sketchy) Vancouver police initiative intended to crack down on drug trafficking and unpleasant slumlords. It's large scale impact, unfortunately, is that it shut down entire hotels, throwing people out of their rooms with as little as one hour's notice, and throwing their lives into the deep end of chaos. They apparently did NOT follow due procedure.

Many people had their eyes on the Lucky Lodge today to see what would happen after a group of tenants were given a chance to stand in front of a business license panel to make their case. And it looks like the 54 room hotel will remain open, with some adjustments in management. (ie. Visitors will leave ID at the front desk). This is huge news for many who live in the DTES.

It's definitely news for Victor Callaway who earlier stated "I have been living at the Lucky Lodge for 21 years. I don't know where I will go if this place closes. I am a law abiding citizen, been living here for a long time, and I can't find a room. I am under a lot of stress because this place might close."

Well good on you now, Vic. Let's hope that this is the beginning of a turning tide.

Image courtesty of www.VANDU.org