VANCOUVER—The closure of a popular Starbucks in Vancouver on New Year’s Eve is another setback in the challenges the city’s Downtown Eastside is facing because of poverty, homelessness, and addiction. Beside the famous steam clock in historic Gastown, the coffee shop at 199 Water Street had operated for 28 years. And while critics blame the growth of the homeless population from nearby West Hastings Street, others feel more optimistic and see some changes on the horizon.
Zofia Kwiecien lives in the neighbourhood and operates a hair salon there. Last September, she saw a woman remove her clothes, lie down at the Starbucks entrance, and start screaming at the top of her lungs.
