36 replies to this topic

[Mike K.]

Still all quiet on the homeless shelter front.

Goooo Saanich!

[Mike K.]

Uh, folks, didn't the Province just offer funding for a shelter in Saanich about two months ago?

*crickets*


Saanich council tackles homeless issue
Property-transfer tax seen as source of funds

BY KIM WESTAD Times Colonist staff
Saanich Coun. Bob Gillespie isn’t going to wait for another committee or task force to tell him the problem of homelessness and the lack of affordable housing is growing.

“I’m not sitting around anymore,” Gillespie said last night, rising to his feet in Saanich council chambers. “I’m going to stand up and make sure things happen in 2007.”

Gillespie made an impassioned speech about the intensifying problem of homelessness, a problem he said all regions and levels of government need to work together on.

“We have meetings and talk about affordable housing, but after the conference is over it falls off the end like Niagara Falls,” Gillespie said. “No more talking. Let’s move this into action.”

Gillespie and Coun. Vic Derman want 20 per cent of the property-transfer tax collected by the provincial government to be directed annually to a pooled fund.

That fund would be administered by the Union of B.C. Municipalities and the province to tackle the intertwined issues of homelessness and affordable housing.

They also want council to investigate the extent of the homeless problem in Saanich, work with other partners in the region to address the problem and have staff look into how affordable housing could be an integral part of development anticipated by the regional growth study. The motions passed unanimously. Gillespie and Derman said the province collects $900 million a year in property-transfer tax.

Home buyers pay one per cent on the first $200,000 of the cost of their homes, and two per cent on anything over that.

With increasing house prices, the province is collecting more and more money. It goes into general provincial government coffers.

The UBCM has previously suggested part of the property-transfer tax be targeted for specific areas, but has not been successful.

Coun. Susan Brice said that perhaps trying it one more time might catch the attention of the provincial government.

Affordable housing can be an integral part of any new community development, Derman said, pointing to False Creek in Vancouver.

There’s no doubt homelessness is a growing problem, Coun. Leif Wergeland said, but he’s not sure the motions will make a difference.

Each year, there is an annual homeless count and the number generally increases.

“It’s almost becoming comparable to the flower count. We spend a lot of time counting.”

Dealing with the issue has to be reflected in all government budgets and decisions, not just a couple of times a year when the issue reaches a critical mass, Wergeland said.

[G-Man]

I think Saanich can back to the table when THEY start doing something to help. How dare anyone on Saanich Council criticize anything done in Victoria regarding the homeless.

Help homeless, don’t count them – councillor


By Amy Dove
Saanich News
Feb 16 2007


On the heals of the 2007 Homeless Count, Saanich Coun. Bob Gillespie is pushing for action on a motion Saanich council approved in December 2006.

Nothing has been done since council said it would look into the idea of using provincial property transfer tax funds to supplement affordable housing solutions, Gillespie said. The money, estimated to be $900 million in 2006, is funneled into general revenue for the province. Council supported a motion by Gillespie and Coun. Vic Derman to look into redirecting 20 per cent of that revenue into housing issues.

“Why are we spending $100,000 counting heads?” Gillespie asked, noting that has been done. “We never come up with action.”

The 2007 count by Cool Aid cost $97,000 to conduct, with some of that money going directly to the homeless population in the form of food and clothing.

Gillespie plans to bring the issue up again at a joint meeting between local municipalities in May.

The count, organized by the Victoria Cool Aid Society, was done Feb. 5 in local shelters. Volunteers conducted surveys of the homeless population from Feb. 6 to 9.

[Ms. B. Havin]

Did they really print "On the heals of"?

[G-Man]

Yup wow I did't catch that nice typo. Man Vic News is just doing better and better!

[Mike K.]

Perhaps staff spend more time writing resumes than articles.

[TheVisionary]

I haven't ranted on VV for a while until I felt there's something worst ranting about. I previously mention that some really whacked out street addict or whatever poured garbage on my car and spit at it, near View Towers. That sort of pissed me off, but it's washable. Recently, another ****ed up street person scratched circular patterns into the hood of my car, near Blanshard and Fort Streets. That wasn't washable and I'm really more pissed off now! I was at Capital 6 watching Pirates of the Caribbean 3 with friends and acquaintances. I was furious enough to probably beat the perpetrator into submission if I actually caught the vandal. I would most likely have derived some sort of pleasure from the beating. Now, I have swirls scratched into my paint job where everyone can see it!

I don't care where they build the shelter, penal colony, re-education centre, forced labour camp, detox centre, or whatever! Some Victorians are too nice bleeding hearted to these social liabilities running around, defecating, urinating, vandalizing private property of "responsible tax payers". As one of my associates stated, "...they are like animals! Animals only understand force, fear, domination, and coercion." Many property owners, business people, regular citizens are out of mercy for those who damaged our property. I would ally myself to those factions of Victorians who advocate crackdowns and force.

The red hot economy has lots of work. No one should be unemployed unless they are incapable or lazy.

[Mike K.]

There are kids running around who purposefully scratch up cars. I've seen it happen with large SUVs where they feel that the best way to get some sort of a message across to the driver is the deface their vehicle. In Montreal there was a group running around slashing the tires of gas guzzling vehicles and their reasoning was that if the driver could afford the fuel he/she could afford new tires (which, er, require oil as an ingredient).

[gumgum]

What kind of car do you have,V?

[TheVisionary]

What kind of car do you have,V?

I have a Chrysler Neon half "pimped out" with shiny mag wheel rims, car graphics, new stereo, etc. I haven't yet pimped up the other half yet. What's the point of pimping out the rest of my car, the "**** nut(s)" sort of made my long term project redundant. I only have the fervent wish for revenge to sustain me, now. I'll rephrase myself; vandalizing kids should also be thrown into the "shelter, detox, penal colony, forced labour camp, whatever", along with the pissing, crapping, vandalizing drug addicts too. Lets make a clean sweep, why do things half way? I'm sure we can add more to the list later.

My colleagues once thought my car was sexy, hip, cool, a shiny example for them to emulate. Now, they give me that "too bad, so sad" attitude while staring at the badly scratched circles in my hood. My car is now deformed! Therefore, I'm also deformed as the car is a symbol, an extension of my person in public. I'm hideous! It's like Paris Hilton forced to spend 40 days in jail! :smt013 :smt013 :smt013 :smt013

[Holden West]

My parents had a Neon.

[TheVisionary]

My parents had a Neon.

Ah yes another Neon owner. I bet your parents didn't have to spend around $200-$300 to have the hood repainted, because some ****** scratched it all up!? I want the bug responsible to suffer. I want the bug to pierce the night air with agonizing screams. :smt021 :smt066

[gumgum]

Any bumper stickers on this Neon of yours?

[LJ]

Any bumper stickers on this Neon of yours?

I believe I saw one on it - "NUKE the WHALES"

[Galvanized]

[TheVisionary]

Any bumper stickers on this Neon of yours?

Bumper stickers!? They are so tacky. Oh come on, even the red necks out in Langford and further west don't have bumper stickers on their vehicles anymore! Urban development have gentrified them. The farther you live from downtown, better it is. People with addiction and mental/social problems seem to lived or squat downtown or nearby. Perhaps their fix dealers don't do business out in the far suburbs?

:shock:

[Jeffamartin1970]

It is not just a Victoria problem! We need a shelter in the West Shore too because it is a problem thge whole CRD should be dealing with! We need shelters to lead to the homeless getting help and treatment. This way we can help the addicts that want to try and quite and maybe those people could then be able to get a job and make enough money to find a place of their own or find decent rental accommidations and become part of mainstream society. Most homeless people do not want to be on the street, only I would say 5% are their because they do not like the rules of "society". Maybe issues like this would be easier if we had amalgamation once and for all!!! To the nay sayers, all the resources contributed by other municpalities would not go just to help downtwon problems! As for Saanich having a shelter we need one in order to help with the problem and not just ignorantly force the problem onto another municipality like some municipalities seem to do in the CRD because they do not want to deal with the problem because it is a tough dirty social issue that puts fear, loathing, crime, and property devalueing in the minds of residents. We are the Capital of BC what kind of example are we really setting for other cities in BC?