VICTORIA, B.C.: Conservative Housing Critic Linda Hepner is calling for immediate accountability from Housing Minister Christine Boyle and BC Housing after a Vancouver mother, Alicia Williams, revealed that she and her five children were forced out of a cockroach infested BC Housing unit at the MacLean Park complex, only to be told by BC Housing that the home was still “safe” and “habitable.”
A CityNews investigation reveals cockroaches crawling on walls, furniture, clothing, and even on the family members themselves. Williams’s premature infant, who thrived in the hospital, has suffered repeated respiratory illnesses since living in the unit. Multiple treatments were attempted in October, yet the infestation remains widespread throughout the complex.
Williams and twenty other tenants have signed a petition demanding action from BC Housing after months of serious pest problems that tenants describe as “horrifying” and “across every section of this complex.”
Despite doctor’s notes advising that the unit is unsafe for her baby, BC Housing told Williams she should return to the same unit. The portfolio manager insisted there was “no evidence to suggest that your unit is uninhabitable.”
“This is a shocking collapse of basic human dignity,” said Hepner. “A mother, her children, and now an entire building of residents are pleading for help, and BC Housing responds by telling them to go back into an infested apartment. No community should have to tolerate this, and no family should be dismissed like this.”
The CityNews report also highlights the experiences of other tenants, including Lorraine Holubowich, who discovered ants covering her clothing inside her apartment. Residents described feeling panicked, fearful, and lacking confidence in the building’s management.
Hepner says this case reveals exactly why communities across British Columbia have grown frustrated and distrustful of BC Housing projects.
“BC Housing and this Minister insist that they take concerns seriously, but what we see here tells a different story,” Hepner said. “This is a major breach of trust. There is no excuse for a government housing provider to ignore infestations, dismiss medical concerns, or pressure families back into unsafe living conditions. The supervisor contractor responsible for this building must be removed immediately.”
Hepner is calling for clear accountability from Housing Minister Christine Boyle and BC Housing.
“Families on the Downtown Eastside already face enormous challenges,” said Hepner. “A government-funded housing authority should be keeping them safe, not forcing them into environments that jeopardize their health and strip away their dignity. It is time for the government to clean up its own house.”
Alicia Williams says she should be planning Christmas for her children. Instead, she is wondering where her family will live in the coming weeks. Hepner says the province owes Williams and all tenants an immediate response.
“This is a human being asking for basic safety. It is unacceptable for this government to ignore her any longer.”
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Media Contact:
Ryan Painter
Communications
Ryan.Painter@leg.bc.ca
