It’s not only open houses for home sales that are going online.

Because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, open houses for proposed developments are going virtual as well.

One example is a social housing project in the Downtown Eastside of Vancouver.

A virtual showing has been set for the development proposed by Lookout Housing and Health Society at 524-528 Powell Street.

The online open house is scheduled from June 15 to June 21, 2020.

A link to the virtual showing is to be found on the City of Vancouver’s web page regarding the project.

The city has suspended in-person meetings related to development projects due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Lookout Housing’s development application involves a new seven-storey building with mixed uses.

The third to seventh floors will be devoted for social housing, with 114 units.

The ground and second floors will be used for reail, office, and community uses.

Lookout Housing is a well established nonprofit that serves underprivileged people in 14 municipalities across Metro Vancouver.

The nonprofit owns 524-528 Powell Street, which currently has two-storey buildings that are being used by the Powell Street Getaway Resource Centre, and Vancouver Coastal Health.

The property is near Oppenheimer Park, which was until quite recently the location of a homeless camp.

A new community centre is part of the proposed development.

The community centre will provide programs and services to the community, including a safe consumption site for drugs.