The end of the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics has marked two successes in Canada's pro-social housing movement.

Less than two weeks after opening the Olympic Tent Village, organizers announced that housing was found for 35 homeless persons staying at the Village. Village residents had previously stated that the action would continue indefinitely until housing was found for those in need. Activists also participated in a "tent-in" at BC Housing just hours before accommodation was announced.

While BC Housing claims that these persons would be housed regardless of the Tent Village, organizers are confident that it was instrumental in expediting the process.

For the last three nights, I've been camping at the Olympic Tent Village in the Downtown Eastside. The Village, supported by dozens of groups, is located on a lot owned by Concord Pacific but rented by the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the Olympic Games (VANOC) for use as a parking lot during the 2010 Vancouver Games. The action is meant to raise awareness about the lack of safe and affordable low-income housing; the high number of homeless persons across Canada; gentrification; and the criminalization of poverty.

Vancouver's Downtown Eastside (DTES) neighbourhood is not known as one of the city's most beautiful. Notoriously referred to as Canada's poorest postal code, the DTES has high rates of poverty, drug use, and sex work. Next to glossy Gastown, it can seem dark and ominous, viewed by many as offering little else than prowling police and a strong homeless presence.

But the community of the DTES thrives in a way that few others in the city do. Vancouver is referred to by residents and visitors alike as "No Fun City," touting strict liquor laws, few community events, and dispersed neighborhoods. The Olympic Tent Village, located at 58 W. Hastings, embodies a liveliness, spirit and sense of compassion that demonstrates the neighbourhood's resilience, dedication and innovation.