All articles
Reporting, analysis and community stories from Downtown Eastside.
Why Decriminalizing Sex Work in British Columbia Matters
In Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside, the debate over decriminalizing sex work transcends mere policy—it’s a matter of survival for many. Canada’s legal framework, introduced under…
Canadian Revolving Door of Justice Sparks Growing Calls for Bail Reform
In recent years, Canadians have grown increasingly alarmed by a disturbing pattern in high-profile criminal cases—many involve individuals already out on bail. This unsettling…
Outsiders and Others Present the Work of Artists Who Have Experienced Homelessness
Outsiders and Others Gallery invites the public to experience a powerful exhibition, From the Streets of Our Unfair City: Artists Who Have Experienced Homelessness.…
The Broken Pillars of Housing Rights in British Columbia
In British Columbia, the promise of housing as a human right is cracking under the weight of systemic inequities and bureaucratic inertia. Behind the…
Exploring the Carceral Continuum in Downtown Eastside Social Housing
The term “carceral continuum” brings to mind an array of institutions—prisons, hospitals, mental health facilities, and low-income housing—that function to surveil, control, and manage…
Are Overdose Prevention Sites Making a Difference in British Columbia?
In 2016, British Columbia faced an unprecedented public health emergency. The opioid crisis, driven by an increasingly toxic drug supply, was claiming lives at…
The Downtown Eastside Phenomenon Where a Neighbourhood Becomes a Metaphor
Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside has long symbolized the complexities of urban inequality, its streets reflecting a deep convergence of poverty, addiction, and systemic neglect. Once…
Downtown Eastside’s Falling Overdose Rates Challenge What We Think We Know
The toxic drug crisis in British Columbia’s Downtown Eastside—a neighbourhood at the epicentre of overdose fatalities—has presented an unexpected, albeit cautious, glimmer of hope.…
Advocate for DTES Housing Wins 2024 SFU Urban Studies Alumni Award
Amid Vancouver’s ongoing housing crisis, Alie Lynch, a master’s student in Simon Fraser University’s Urban Studies Program, has emerged as a powerful advocate for…
Ten Years Into the Downtown Eastside Plan, Progress Remains Elusive
In 2014, Vancouver City Council approved the Downtown Eastside Plan, a 30-year blueprint aimed at revitalizing one of Canada’s most complex and stigmatized neighbourhoods.…
WISH Drop-In Centre for Sex Workers Closes Temporarily Amid Funding Issues
The WISH Drop-In Centre Society in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside has been a critical support hub for sex workers since its opening in 2020. Offering…
Reclaiming Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside for a Future of Order and Equity
In Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside, visible disorder has become the defining feature of public spaces. Encampments, open drug use, and vandalized properties paint a picture…
