Sorella Housing for Women - a program of Atira Women's Resource Society

July 25, 2011

Official Opening of Sorella and Announcement of the Investment in Affordable Housing 2011-2014 Framework Agreement

The Honourable James Moore, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages and Regional Minister for British Columbia; Honourable Rich Coleman, Minister of Energy and Mines and Minister Responsible for Housing; Janice Abbott, CEO, Atira Women’s Resource Society ; Kathy Butler, Chair, Finance Committee, Atira Women’s Resource Society and Mayor Gregor Robertson, City of Vancouver, officially cut the ribbon to open Sorella

Globe and Mail - Rehab on a shoestring for Vancouver's neglected hotels

The Province - Doors open at new supportive housing site in Vancouver

Woodsworth, King question housing commitment - CBC News Vancouver, July 25, 2011
(excerpt) Gloria Macarenko: Some long-awaited social housing opened in Vancouver today, homes for 110 people in the downtown east side. The project was actually announced six years ago and critics call today's spending announcement nothing but smoke and mirrors. Tim Weekes has the story.

Reporter: With a snip of scissors the building officially opened, the Sorella, a 108-unit supportive housing development for women on the downtown east side.
Tara, resident: Being here is sort has given me a little bit after change, you know, but not having many people taking advantage of me. I have a nice roof over my head.
Reporter: One woman says it's given her the stability to take training and cultural courses.
Debbie Lincoln, resident: If it wasn't for the home -- the shelter that I was in and coming here I wouldn't have completed this.

Reporter: The cost of the project was about $27m. (see full article)
Video Link: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/story/2011/07/25/bc-housing-deal.html

The Vancouver Courier - New housing project opens in Downtown Eastside

(excerpt)Tara Rintoul isn’t sure what she will make of herself now that she’s found a permanent home. Maybe she’ll go back to school and learn more about her aboriginal culture. "Right now, I’m just 100 per cent proud of myself that I got in to this place," she said, standing in a courtyard connected to Sorella, a new 108-unit supportive housing complex for women on Abbott Street in the Downtown Eastside. Rintoul was formerly homeless, living in a shelter on Alexander Street. Her name came up in May when Atira Women’s Resource Society began looking for tenants to move in to the Sorella, which translates to 'sister' in Italian. "When I found out about this place, it was like ‘Oh my God, man,’" Rintoul continued. "You know a whole different thing has changed for me. I never thought I’d get the honour to live in one of these places." On Monday, politicians from all three levels of government gathered to officially open the new $26.8 million complex. The provincial government provided the biggest contribution at $14.6 million while the federal government chipped in $6.1 million. The city provided the land-worth $2.6 million-a grant of $2.9 million and waived development cost levies of $416,418.

CBC News - B.C., federal government ink $180-million housing plan