There is an urgent need for low barrier supportive housing for young women, especially in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside. Girls and young women who are homeless or in unsafe or precarious housing situations face enormous challenges and risks, including the risk of violence/abuse/death, gender exploitation, substance use practices, racism, poverty, pregnancy, poor physical health and barriers to accessing support and services.

120 Jackson Street is an 18-unit single room accommodation (SRA) owned by Atira Women’s Resource Society (Atira) that will house 18 young women as well as a “House Mom”. It will also have program and meeting space, a communal kitchen and shared bathrooms. Services for the residents will be provided on site by Atira and its partner organizations, all of which currently provide services for young women in the Downtown Eastside including Watari, Sheway, Covenant House Vancouver, the Ministry of Children and Family Development, the Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Vancouver, the Inner-city Youth Mental Health Team, BC Women’s Hospital and Health Care, and Providence Health.

502 Alexander is located immediately east of 120 Jackson. There is an opportunity to create second stage supportive housing, which will serve as transition housing for the young women leaving the crisis situation that brought them to 120 Jackson and live in small modular (multi-unit) self contained suites with some supports, while they transition to independent living.

MCQuarters is proud to be part of this development by supplying the modular self contained suites.