Rare Americans have shared a new track about the Balmoral Hotel, a notorious single-room occupancy hotel in the heart of Vancouver’s downtown east side.

The band shared that “throughout Vancouver, there are more than 160 single-room occupancy buildings (SRO’s). These are small rental units offering an affordable option in an attempt to fight Vancouver’s housing crisis. There was a recent study that revealed that a staggering ninety-five percent of SRO occupants exhibited drug addiction, among other serious health issues caused by the unsanitary conditions. The Balmoral Hotel was one of the worst SRO’s in Vancouver.”

In a social media post, Rare Americans highlighted the need for safe spaces, saying that “nearly 90,000 people die annually in Canada and the USA from opioid-related deaths. That equates to over 200 lives lost each day”.