1678 replies to this topic

[Mike K.]

That’s right, that figure seemed to have emerged out of nowhere.

[Bingo]

I’m not so sure that $60M is a real thing though. Where do we track that?

 

That's what I was going to say.

[Rob Randall]

$60 million is a fraction of the money the Province has pledged to spend on housing the homeless throughout BC so I think you could argue that the fallout of tent city managed to shake the money tree enough to fund 844 and the other motel conversions. I don't much like how it all happened but I don't doubt if you add up all the price tags of the various projects you arrive at $60 million.

Edited by Rob Randall, 06 January 2018 - 08:17 AM.

[VicHockeyFan]

Again, we have documented here how the extra 300+ beds have done nothing to improve the local homeless population number. And we also documented that at least 350 homeless people moved here in 2016.

So all we have to show for efforts so far is a deteriorating Downtown, a murder Downtown, two new injection places, and a big ask by VicPD for more labour to deal with it all.

No benefits yet.

[VicHockeyFan]

So Helps was very clear yesterday she is only running for one more term. So she has declared herself a lame duck now.

So let’s move on to new leadership this year, there are no good reasons to let her run out another four years.

Time for new positive leadership now.

Edited by VicHockeyFan, 06 January 2018 - 08:27 AM.

[Mike K.]

Maybe the $60,000 savings per housed residents pads that amount? That’s what Helps said, that each housed street person saves the taxpayer $60,000 per year.

[North Shore]

Buy'em a First-class air ticket to wherever they came from - that'll save $56k and change...

[sebberry]

Maybe the $60,000 savings per housed residents pads that amount? That’s what Helps said, that each housed street person saves the taxpayer $60,000 per year.

 

That might be the case, but only if that housed individual is taking steps to becoming clean, sober and law-abiding. 

 

Given how frequently the police deal with residents of the 844, I don't think we're saving much by housing them.

[Midnightly]

Yesterday on CFAX when asked for an example of how the mayor acknowledged she was wrong about something, she said the staff recommendation to build a tent city at Topaz Park was one that came to mind.

She said she heard loud and clear that the community didn’t want it, and directly through her changing her mind on the tent city she was able to secure $60 million in housing.

I was not aware that the tent city concept was spearheaded by staff. And what came of this $60 million? Is that how much it cost to secure 844 Johnson and maintain the Yates shelter? Or is that money that hasn’t been spent yet?

 

 

i thought the money for housing came due to the fact of the court house lawn tent city... not the failed attempt to try to set one up at topaz park..

[VicHockeyFan]

i thought the money for housing came due to the fact of the court house lawn tent city... not the failed attempt to try to set one up at topaz park..

 

Well, not according to her on the radio.

 

She was unable to take "credit" for the courthouse tent city, so she spun it a different way.

[Mike K.]

The mayor stated live on the radio that due to her changing her mind about city staff's idea to locate a tent city at Topaz Park the region is benefitting from $60 million in new housing.

 

I wish the question had come sooner and the interviewer had had the time to push her on what she meant.

[Nparker]

The mayor stated live on the radio that due to her changing her mind about city staff's idea to locate a tent city at Topaz Park the region is benefiting from $60 million in new housing...

She really does have a tendency to slip into Trump-like moments of deflection mixed with narcissism doesn't she?

[spanky123]

$60 million is a fraction of the money the Province has pledged to spend on housing the homeless throughout BC so I think you could argue that the fallout of tent city managed to shake the money tree enough to fund 844 and the other motel conversions. I don't much like how it all happened but I don't doubt if you add up all the price tags of the various projects you arrive at $60 million.

 

There was discussion last year of the CRD agreeing to out up $30M for housing if the Province matched it for a total of $60M. As far as I know, the Province hasn't committed to the $60M yet Helps keeps stating the money is ours.

[Mike K.]

From 2015:

“On Dec. 9, 2015 The Capital Regional District Board unanimously voted to allow the CRD to borrow up to $30 million incrementally to fund affordable or supportive housing projects in conjunction with the existing borrowing authority of the CRHD (for designated health facilities).” - https://www.crd.bc.c...g-first-program

The province pledged to meet that $30 million with $30 million, but I don’t think the feds have contributed their share.

[Midnightly]

The mayor stated live on the radio that due to her changing her mind about city staff's idea to locate a tent city at Topaz Park the region is benefitting from $60 million in new housing.

 

I wish the question had come sooner and the interviewer had had the time to push her on what she meant.

 

 

i thought topaz tent city park was all her, she was pushing hard for it and the reason it didn't happen is the hard opposition by the neighborhood protesting the idea that forced her to change her mind, the neighborhood fought hard against it, it's one of the few times she listened to the people (although she was kinda forced to listen)

[Nparker]

...it's one of the few times she listened to the people (although she was kinda forced to listen)

But then she figured out how to work behind the scenes to manipulate the establishment of a tent city in a location where she knew neither the neighbours, nor the local government could stop it. I don't believe for a second the court house campers stumbled upon that location by accident. Why else do you think she gave them an award? They fulfilled her plan perfectly.

[Midnightly]

But then she figured out how to work behind the scenes to manipulate the establishment of a tent city in a location where she knew neither the neighbours, nor the local government could stop it. I don't believe for a second the court house campers stumbled upon that location by accident. Why else do you think she gave them an award? They fulfilled her plan perfectly.

 

 

completely agree with you, and she will lie like the dickens to deny the fact i'm sure..

[tjv]

From 2015:

“On Dec. 9, 2015 The Capital Regional District Board unanimously voted to allow the CRD to borrow up to $30 million incrementally to fund affordable or supportive housing projects in conjunction with the existing borrowing authority of the CRHD (for designated health facilities).” - https://www.crd.bc.c...g-first-program

The province pledged to meet that $30 million with $30 million, but I don’t think the feds have contributed their share.

Interesting so Lisa Helps and the CoV raised $0 therefore she should get ZERO credit

 

of that $60 million how much was spent to buy Tally Ho, Super 8, Mt Edwards, 844 Johnson, etc plus any renovation costs?  That alone was probably the bulk of it

[Cassidy]

That 60 million is "poverty industry" money, and very little (if any) of it will go to helping the people who need it.

 

The poverty industry, like any industry, loves buying real estate ... and most of the 60 million would have been exchanged in big dollar real estate deals, designed to profit folks who have nothing to do with homelessness, and who are (as large property owners in Victoria) already quite wealthy, if not insanely wealthy.

 

(The next time you're anywhere near 844, take a look up into the many East facing windows ... and tell me that the destruction and general weirdness you see in those windows looks like it's "helping" anybody).

[tjv]

^not sure why you are blaming real estate owners who sold their properties at fair market value.  They would have made the same money if they sold it to someone else

 

I've said it before, all we are doing is enabling the homeless to continue their lifestyle, we are doing nothing to help them get off the system, to get a job, etc.  For that reason I don't give any money to Canadian charities.  If I could stop paying the portion of my taxes that supported the homeless, welfare, etc I would, but we all know that's not possible