25923 replies to this topic

[mbjj]

How many "regular" folks live with all of their friends, lol? 

[JimV]

I drove around BHP this morning to the extent possible (thanks Geoff Young and council.)  I saw about 40 tents still standing, along with the big, tarp covered piles near the gravel field.  There could well have been more not easily visible from the road.  And I didn’t check out the east edge of the park or the Cook Street corner cluster (cluster, why does that remind me of a rude expression.) The sacred fire was extinguished but I expect it will soon be rekindled in a temporary homeless shelter near you.  There were also a number of decrepit RVs parked here and there.

 

It will be interesting, though not, I suspect, encouraging, to see what the city does about the holdouts and new arrivals.  Probably an official extension of the deadline with bylaw being ordered to look the other way.

[Nparker]

...It will be interesting, though not, I suspect, encouraging, to see what the city does about the holdouts and new arrivals.  Probably an official extension of the deadline with bylaw being ordered to look the other way.

Hasn't this more-or-less already been decided? All the squatters have to say to satisfy CoV bylaws, is that they have been offered housing and are waiting for it to be ready. After this, they can camp 24/7 indefinitely. It's not like the city or any of the many local poverty agencies are keeping track. Like all things homeless-related, there is zero accountability to those of us who are footing the bill.

[Mike K.]

Did anyone catch the interview with the Coalition’s CEO with Al Farraby? She said there was a census of people in the encampments with respect to BC Housing’s uptake goals. So if there was a census, why did the Coalition not deliver on its agreed on census of the populations in the various parks? Either we have access to the people to determine their needs through dialogue, or we don’t. And it sounds like we do.

[Tom Braybrook]

 Max said. “I don’t consider myself homeless. I’m just keeping busy and living rent-free.”

 

https://www.timescol..._source=dlvr.it

[Victoria Watcher]

A camper named Max, who lives in a complex series of connected tents and tarps near the park’s bandshell, was busy fixing bikes he said were for his friends. A whiteboard leaning against a tall fir bore a message telling Nathan his bike was ready.

“I can’t do this in a hotel room or apartment,” Max said. “I don’t consider myself homeless. I’m just keeping busy and living rent-free.”

__________

Chris has chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and is leaving his rooming house at the end of next month because of his difficulty wearing masks in a shared kitchen and dealing with the many stairs.

He’s on the list for ­housing, though he hasn’t yet been placed, so he has been biding his time with campers in Beacon Hill and is considering living there over the summer.

“I don’t think you can just pull people out of the park and put them in a room and think they will be OK,” he said.

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 02 May 2021 - 03:12 AM.

[A Girl is No one]

This will never end. Helps won. She wanted BHP turned over to the bums, she got it.

[Victoria Watcher]

Anthony Bryan is a 29-year-old camper in Beacon Hill Park. They were a founder of the Cook Street Community Care Tent, and have been an active voice for campers. Bryan is not involved in the brewing protest, but is aware of it, and agrees the shelters are inadequate.

 

“I’m gonna scream to high heavens, the arena is not a place for homeless people to be because it is an unsafe space and it is very unsecure [sic]. So if you ever get offered the Save-On Foods Arena, tell them straight up, ‘I do not want this; this is not a safe space,’” said Bryan.

 

Bryan is on BC Housing’s list, but as of publication time, they had not yet been offered an indoor space. They do not plan on accepting a spot at a temporary shelter.

 

“If it comes with a lock [and] key and privacy, sure! Anything less is a no for me,” said Bryan.

 

The shelter created in the Save-On-Foods Memorial Arena is currently run by the Portland Hotel Society. While the cubicle-style spaces do not have doors, residents have lockers for belongings. The shelter also offers clinical support, including an overdose prevention site. Capital Daily reached out to BC Housing with specific allegations of resident-on-resident violence at the arena reported by campers, and was told they did not happen.

 

https://www.capitald...ousing-victoria

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 02 May 2021 - 08:17 AM.

[Mike K.]

What is interesting is I don’t think VicPD has released much in the way of press releases concerning the arena. Maybe the proximity to HQ keeps some of the higher profiles individuals away? But I have heard from reputable sources that there certainly have been issues at the arena and it’s not an ideal shelter space.

[Rob Randall]

I am thinking the openness and well-spaced out cots at the arena lessen the chances of mischief compared to the private rooms and cramped conditions at other places.

 

Note to CapDaily editor and language geeks: "unsecured" does not get a [sic]. It's permissible in this context.  

[Victoria Watcher]

Note to CapDaily editor and language geeks: "unsecured" does not get a [sic]. It's permissible in this context.  

 

that was strange.

[Rob Randall]

Only [sic] something if the quote is confusing. Especially if someone is speaking slang or a dialect, for example you would never correct "I don't got no money".

[Nparker]

...you would never correct "I don't got no money".

Because this means the person does have some money. Double negatives create a positive - right? 

[Rob Randall]

^You don't know nothing.

[Nparker]

^You don't know nothing.

Exactly.

[Victoria Watcher]

City of Victoria park homeless count:

 

220 - May 2, 2021

 

 

 

B.C. Housing estimates there are about 220 people staying overnight in the region’s parks and about 100 will be offered places to stay this week. 

 

 

https://www.timescol...arks-1.24314091

 

so 100 will be offered places this week.  that's 70 at russell (opening tormorrow) and 30 at tiny homes caledonia opening may 12.

 

where are the other 120 being offered space?

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 02 May 2021 - 10:21 AM.

[Nparker]

What is meant by "region"? The City of Victoria? The core municipalities? The CRD?

[Victoria Watcher]

just CoV likely.  they only count during the daytime.

 

there is also a number of "300" being used in lots of media stories but not sure where that number comes from.

[Victoria Watcher]

vancouver:

 

 

 

The more significant problem with the decampment plan is that the kind of housing that was offered was limited, according to York.

 

“Often what’s being offered in terms of housing is really based on assumptions that one size fits all, it’s not looking at all the various needs,” she says.

 

“There are many people with families, with children that they want to be able to see or reunite with, people want to be able to be with their community. So the no guest policy that’s prevalent right now, especially with COVID it’s very isolating. I’ve had lots of people call me and say, ‘It’s really difficult in my new place because I’m lonely.'”

 

Another issue with supportive housing options is that many have mandatory programming, so people living there are program participants and not tenants, York explains. That means they don’t have the rights and protections other renters do, furthermore, the reprogramming that is offered may not be appropriate.

 

“They don’t really have the support or the programming, or cultural programming we’ve be able to provide through the encampments,” York says.

 

“People who’ve been housed from Oppenheimer and elsewhere — not everybody’s retained their housing. The government is talking about an 80 to 90 per cent success rate but that means it’s not working for everyone. What are the reasons for that?”

 

 

 

https://www.citynews...ark-decampment/

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 02 May 2021 - 10:31 AM.

[kitty surprise]

 

Another issue with supportive housing options is that many have mandatory programming, so people living there are program participants and not tenants, York explains. That means they don’t have the rights and protections other renters do, furthermore, the reprogramming that is offered may not be appropriate.

 

“They don’t really have the support or the programming, or cultural programming we’ve be able to provide through the encampments,” York says.

 

 

Here come the excuses! Unless it's marble countertops and in-suite laundry it's a hard pass.