HUMS1581 K.Berry

1. What’s it need and what’s it got?

2. The poorest postal code in Canada

3. Housingresidents of the Downtown Eastside live in
 Many of the
what are called SRO’s (Single Room Occupancy Hotels)
They are often of substandard quality and have problems
with crime, rodent and insect infestation, limited privacy
and they cost the exact amount of income assistance
shelter allowance.

4. Homelessness
 It is difficult to ascertain the numbers of homeless persons
living in the downtown east side of Vancouver. It is
estimated at over 1500 in 2011. These individuals live
outdoors or move from shelter to shelter with no
permanent address

6. It is easy to view this world from a glass half
empty perspective. A walk through it is
something that feels intimidating with so
much poverty and a sense of despair all
around. The people that I spoke to that work at
the various agencies though are passionate
about their work there. Many who come to find
themselves working in the DTES never leave.
They find the glass half empty perspective
moving quickly to another one, filled with
hope and strength, resilience and power to
change.
Soul Food Community Garden, DTES
Insite Safe Injection Site, Downtown
Vancouver
MAP van that travels a route around the
city overnight, making sure sex trade
workers are safe

7. Media
 There is extensive press about the downtown east side,
stories highlighting this year include the Missing Women’s
Enquiry that details the Vancouver Police Departments
handling of the dozens of women reported missing, many
of them aboriginal and many sex trade workers, court
actions relating to the Safe Injection Site that permits on
site injection of illegal substances, as well as the shelters
called ‘no barrier’ that allow individuals to attend with
shopping carts of belongings, while intoxicated, or with
pets.

8. Under Downtown Eastside (Vancouver) Assets Map
community
control
Controlled
outside
community Social Service Addiction support programs
for pregnant women
Potential Programs
Building Blocks
WISH Drop In Centre for
Cultural Individual Capacities Survival Sex Trade Workers
Organizations Resiliency
Addiction Missing Women’s
Task Force
Recovery/Detox/Treatm
ent Programs Housing
Restorative Justice
Programs Faith Based
& Community Courts Programs
Income
24 hour no barrier Assistance Food Security Programs
and Community Gardens
shelters
Business Improvement Public Health Programs Mental Health
Associations including Street Nurses Support Programs
Needle Exchange/Safe
Injection Site Community Centers Community Police

9. Drop Ins
 Many of the drop in’s are very welcoming with walls of
brochures on entrance and receptionists or greeters
there to provide information and introduction to the
services therein. There are a number of community
centres that welcome all, as well as specific programs
that provide religious support, food, clothing, shelter
advise, addiction support, educational assistance or
simply a place to “be”. One such place is Carnegie
Centre, often referred to as the living room of the
downtown east side.

10. Carnegie Centre
http://vancouver.ca/commsvcs/carnegiecentre/
This community centre
type building in the
centre of the Downtown
East Side provides an
educational program,
food, social activities
and a gym as well as
many other things to do
for residents.

11. WISH
 The WISH drop in centre
for Survival Sex Trade
Workers is another
example of programs for
residents of the area. It
offers dinner served 365
days a year, a make up
room, help with locating
shelter, on site nurse,
showers, bad date board
 http://www.wish-
vancouver.net/

12.  The Downtown East Side of Vancouver is the area
highlighted on this map, a vibrant neighbourhood in
an urban centre.