Police in full riot gear have ended Vancouver's latest homelessness protest, removing eight activists from an abandoned building just across from City Hall.

Members of the Anti-Poverty Committee had taken over the city-owned building at Cambie Street and West Broadway on Tuesday, their second protest squat in as many weeks.

Riot police arrested eight protesters who had occupied an abandoned building near Vancouver City Hall.
(CBC)

The eight were taken out by police one by one to the cheers of a crowd of housing activists, late Wednesday afternoon.

One person was taken into custody and could be charged with assault by trespassing.

Earlier in the day, two other activists were arrested for helping get food, water and blankets into the building, which had been surrounded by police.

The leaders of the Anti-Poverty Committee said the group plans to keep up the pressure on the city's ruling Non-Partisan Association to take action to deal with the homelessness situation.

"We're not going to stop the struggle until the NPA implements their homeless action plan and provides decent housing for women who are otherwise forced out onto the streets," said spokesman David Cunningham.

"I think we will continue delivering our message through an escalating campaign and that message has been pretty persistent, and this is, we demand that the NPA implement their homeless action plan immediately."

Cunningham accuses Vancouver Mayor Sam Sullivan of not keeping his election promise to buy vacant buildings and convert them to social housing.

Vancouver Mayor Sam Sullivan released a homeless strategy that relies mainly on money from Victoria and Ottawa.
(CBC)

Sullivan said he is not ignoring the issue and shares the squatters' frustration. But he also told reporters there is no quick fix to the city's problem.

The mayor unveiled his homelessness strategy on Wednesday, a plan that relies heavily on funding from senior levels of government.

"Social housing is clearly in the mandate of the provincial and federal governments. That is the way the roles and responsibilities are divided," he said.

Police say the order to remove the protesters came from the city manager's office.