BC Housing has purchased the Keefer Rooms with plans to bring the building, which was ravaged by fire last year, back into operation by 2025. The Keefer Rooms will be operated by the Downtown Eastside Community Land Trust Association, who aim to use a community land trust model to protect property in the neighbourhood from sale on the private market, and focus on community benefits over profits.

The Keefer Rooms suffered a fire on September 9, 2023, which displaced 39 residents and Gain Wah, the restaurant that had been serving the community from its ground floor for over 40 years. The building will require renovations including window replacements and electrical- and fire-system upgrades before it can be brought back into operation.

Since the building’s closure, the community has been fighting for its return, gathering input for a community-based planning process for the space both online and through public events.

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