11779 replies to this topic

[Victoria Watcher]

i truly do not believe many/any hotels will accept these tenants.  or for not less than $200 or $300/night anyway.  and many campers are unlikely to go if they can't bring all their stuff like bikes.

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 30 May 2020 - 03:23 PM.

[On the Level]

Maybe the city just plans to rent single hotel rooms and not be forthcoming about who will be staying in the suite?

 

That will last for less than a week, then the city will be on the hook for repair and the intended inhabitant will be back on the street.

 

Wouldn't it be better to use funds strategically to address the issue that caused that persons homelessness instead of being homeless which is only a symptom of the issue?

[Victoria Watcher]

addiction recovery?  that's not a current program.  just safe use spaces.

 

mental health care?  no, the patient has the right to refuse meds or other treatment and usually does.

 

laziness or refusal to work?  no, welfare rates raised $300/mo. recently.

[Awaiting Juno]

Why aren't we examining the use of semi-permanent temporary structures that could provide secure, physically distanced housing at a reasonable cost?  Why are these structures OK for BC Corrections, but not Ok for homelessness?  If used as BC Corrections did, 8 structures would provide 432 beds - likely at a fraction of the cost of buying a hotel.  These could be placed throughout the region, and individuals could be assigned a specific bed/room - where they can connect with resources to access more permanent housing. 

 

https://www.sprung.c...bc-corrections/

 

We need to start looking at models that actually lead their users out of homelessness - if a system retains the vast majority of its users for more than a year, is it working?  The facilities that address this need should be viewed as a form of acute care that rehabilitates its users to have the skills needed to find and maintain independent housing and identifies those for whom such rehabilitation is not possible and direct to appropriate facilities/resources.  Shelters should be safe spaces but not the solution to longer-term housing needs.    

[Victoria Watcher]

it's actually pretty simple.  taking over a hotel is easier.  it's already there.  if you want to start popping up buildings around town that'll cause local pushback.

[Awaiting Juno]

it's actually pretty simple.  taking over a hotel is easier.  it's already there.  if you want to start popping up buildings around town that'll cause local pushback.

 

Because doing the easy thing has proven to be incredibly effective and hasn't resulted in any harm to neighbourhoods that are the sites of those hotels?  We're failing.  Badly.

[Awaiting Juno]

Because doing the easy thing has proven to be incredibly effective and hasn't resulted in any harm to neighbourhoods that are the sites of those hotels?  We're failing.  Badly.

 

Also, buying a hotel sends a message "we expect this to be a permanent problem" - rather than, this is a problem we're facing now, and we need a short to medium term solution while we figure out the correct long term approaches to take.

[rjag]

Where’s all the portakabins that Lisa was going on about last year? There has to be a crapload available after she and her ilk basically bankrupted lots of O&G outfits.

[spanky123]

That will last for less than a week, then the city will be on the hook for repair and the intended inhabitant will be back on the street.

 

Wouldn't it be better to use funds strategically to address the issue that caused that persons homelessness instead of being homeless which is only a symptom of the issue?

 

If you listen to the Mayor's presser on Friday it is pretty clear that the City isn't going to be renting any rooms. This was more about appealing to the base in my opinion.

[spanky123]

Also, buying a hotel sends a message "we expect this to be a permanent problem" - rather than, this is a problem we're facing now, and we need a short to medium term solution while we figure out the correct long term approaches to take.

 

Well if we use the adage, what get rewarded gets done then buying a hotel clearly rewards the poverty pimps with a larger empire and more money.

[Mike K.]

Might also have something to do with Pandora Ave.

[Awaiting Juno]

And sadly, yet again, we're seeing what happens when people who need shelter are given hotel rooms - yet another fire. Security isn't a nice to have to adequately serve this population, its a must.  Rules aren't nice to have, they too, are musts.  Yet we seem to be completely unwilling to acknowledge the good reasons why shelters are structured the way they are.  It's a *stage* in the rehabilitation process that is needed for many to adapt from living outside to living inside.  For those who can demonstrate that they're ready for more permanent and less private accommodations - great move them on to those accommodations, but to go from tent to hotel room fails time and time again.

[spanky123]

The tricksters slipped in another last minute agenda item under the innocuous name "appendix e."  https://pub-victoria...ocumentId=53809

 

Council is seeking reduction of vehicle traffic on Government street between Humbolt and Yates to essential vehicles with a full closure between Fort and View. I guess the plan is to help people access all of the closed shops along Government street during the pandemic.

[Nparker]

Oh come on. It's obviously being done to allow the huge volume of locals that will flood Government Street this summer that normally stay away because of all the cruise ship passengers.

[Greg]

I imagine this is intended to allow the shops, bars, and restaurants to use that space to attempt to stay in business. I mean, it definitely fits council's ulterior motives, but that doesn't mean it might not be a good idea in the current circumstance.

 

But I'll claim my bias here, as I would prefer that area always be essentially closed to traffic in the above manner.

[A Girl is No one]

I think this idea might be interesting but I don’t like the last minute additions to the agenda. It’s not fair to anyone who would want to have their thoughts heard. The city has been talking about this publicly for weeks already so should have planned to have it on the agenda already.

[On the Level]

 

Feedback from the businesses has been that it is critical to maintain access for service vehicles and that any measures are temporary. The package of changes being recommended by staff are believed to meet these objectives. 

 

Staff will be taking the opportunity to liaise with stakeholders including the DVBA during the coming months to help inform future planning around a permanent Government Street pedestrian priority initiative. Given the desire to support rapid recovery, staff have not been able to undertake fulsome consultation with stakeholders or the wider public. 

 

OK...but some of these changes don't sound very temporary.

 

 

The decommissioning of the traffic signal at Government Street and View Street intersection to further reduce the “highway“ character of the road and give pedestrians priority. 

 

staff will be obliged to bring forward candidate projects for conversion to permanent, wider sidewalks on a priority basis 

 

You would think council would be trying to entice people to come downtown.....not make it harder for them to do so. 

[spanky123]

I took another stroll downtown at lunch today. Good news is that in the Douglas and Government St corridors, I would estimate that 75% of shops and cafes are now open to some extent. As you move East to Blanshard and Quadra that number drops to perhaps 50%-60% but still more than it was a few weeks ago.

 

Speaking with shop owners the problem they are facing is that foot traffic is way down (discounting tourists). One cafe worker told me that about 70% of his office regulars were still working from home.It was sunny and a little windy today but nevertheless I did not see anyone eating at outdoor seating at any of the restaurants. Could have missed them or maybe I wasn't looking in the right spots but that would certainly align with a drop in the office lunch crowd. One worker at a store in the Bay Centre (which he said had just over 50% of its stores open) told me that traffic was about 50% of normal.

[mbjj]

Sorry to be the old fogey here, but when I want to park in the Bay Centre parkade, from my part of town, driving along that "highway" called Government St. is how I get there. Another place to cross off my shopping list I guess.

[Rob Randall]

Sorry to be the old fogey here, but when I want to park in the Bay Centre parkade, from my part of town, driving along that "highway" called Government St. is how I get there. Another place to cross off my shopping list I guess.

 

Sorry to be the guy that argues with old fogeys but according to Google Maps, driving from Menzies/Superior to the parkade shows eight minutes whether you go up Government or  take the longer route of Blanshard to Yates.