A stinging new city staff report on housing concludes that the poor and marginalized are scrambling to keep a roof over their heads.

The Downtown Eastside Housing Plan, which goes before the planning and environment committee today (January 25), states that the vacancy rate in single-room occupancy accommodation fell to 10 percent in 2005 (from 14 percent in 1992) as the number of rooms available for rent has declined from 900 to less than 600. Most alarmingly, the number of rooms available for rent at $325 per month in the Downtown Eastside has fallen from 72 percent in 1992 to 21 percent in 2005.

“From the City’s own information we know that there has been an increase in rental rates and a decline in the vacancy rate in SROs since 1992,” the report states. “SRO operators face challenges maintaining their buildings with such marginal income streams.”

The report offers a multidepartmental platform for greater enforcement of city bylaws—such as the standards of maintenance bylaw—as well as “economic incentives” to help with the challenge of running an SRO.

“The City has acted as an advocate of this by asking the Province to increase the welfare shelter allowance and/or to provide rent supplements for units operated by SRO owners,” the report noted