25965 replies to this topic

[Sparky]

I think the fire has closed the Mustard Seed.

[Victoria Watcher]

Sexual violence rampant amid lack of housing options for homeless Vancouver women: survey

50 Downtown Eastside respondents all reported enduring violence, sexual assault




It doesn’t matter if women are staying in tents, shelters or SROs – risks exist in all the unstable living options. In fact, 35 per cent of the survey respondents said they may not accept a shelter space out of fear for their safety.

Abbott says in shelters people are often staying on cots or beds in communal rooms, without any private space. Even in SROs, where residents have their own rooms, they have to share washrooms. Risk there is compounded by the number of unknown guests who filter through every day.

“If you have to get up in the middle of the night and go use a bathroom, it’s a risky proposition for a woman.”

________

She says the issues are difficult to address. Increasing staff could help, but residents also report feeling unsafe when they believe their every move is being monitored.

“There’s a balance in a shelter between keeping people safe and surveillance.”

Reducing the size of shelters and SROs and increasing the number of them would be beneficial, Abbott says, but very expensive.

Women in the survey also expressed the need for cleaner and more private spaces, with access to their own washroom and kitchen.


https://www.todayinb...r-women-survey/

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 28 March 2023 - 05:57 PM.

[LJ]

^All they have to do is go to work and provide the desired shelter for themselves.

[Victoria Watcher]

Man burned trying to control tent fire in Nanaimo homeless encampment

 

Firefighters respond to reports of heavy smoke and explosions

 

https://www.vicnews....ess-encampment/

[Mike K.]

A supportive housing project on Catherine Street at Langford Street in Vic West is now completed, or nearly move in-ready, with a celebration taking place today ahead of residents moving in. The building will be operated by the Aboriginal Coalition to End Homelessness Society. More: https://victoria.cit...therine-street/

[Mike K.]

Press release:

B.C., Canada opening supportive housing in capital region

More than 135 people experiencing homelessness in the Greater Victoria area now have new homes with supports as three new projects open in the region.

The first project, House of Courage, is located at 865 Catherine St. It will provide 45 homes for Indigenous Peoples experiencing or at risk of homelessness. The four-storey, purpose-built modular supportive housing building will be operated by the Aboriginal Coalition to End Homelessness Society (ACEHS). Residents will benefit from around-the-clock on-site staff support, including daily meal services, employment and life-skills programming, health and wellness services, and culturally appropriate supports.

“Every Canadian deserves a safe and affordable place to call home,” said Ahmed Hussen, federal Minister of Housing and Diversity and Inclusion. “The opening of House of Courage signifies another critical step toward providing safe and affordable homes for all Canadians. With the support of the Rapid Housing Initiative, these three projects will provide new affordable homes to more than 130 people facing homelessness in the Capital Regional District. All three initiatives are a testament to our government’s commitment to leave no Canadian behind. This is the National Housing Strategy at work.”

The Province, through BC Housing, provided $5.7 million to the House of Courage project through the Building BC: Supportive Housing Fund. The Capital Regional District provided $11.3 million through the federal Rapid Housing Initiative (RHI).

“Everyone in B.C. should have a safe place to call home, and we know that outcomes are better for Indigenous people in culturally safe, supportive environments,” said Ravi Kahlon, B.C.’s Minister of Housing. “With the opening of House of Courage, more people will be able to live in a safe environment and access the services they need on their road to recovery. Working with Indigenous partners, we will continue to build the housing that people need all across our province.”

Delivered by the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), under the National Housing Strategy (NHS), RHI provides capital contributions to develop new, permanent affordable homes. RHI contributions cover costs to facilitate the rapid construction of new housing and/or the acquisition of existing buildings for the purpose of rehabilitating or converting them to permanent affordable, supportive or transitional housing.

The RHI is supporting two other projects for people experiencing homelessness in the Capital Regional District that are opening soon:

2933, 2941 and 2949 Albina St., Saanich: 52 new homes with supports, opening in April 2023; and
7606 E. Saanich Rd. (formerly 1909 Prosser Rd.), Central Saanich: 39 new homes with supports, opening in spring 2023.
The B.C. government is supporting the three projects with Supportive Housing Fund grants and annual operating funding.

These projects are part of B.C.’s 10-year, $7-billion housing plan. Since 2017, the Province has funded more than 40,000 affordable new homes that have been completed or are underway for people in B.C., including more than 3,000 in Victoria and more than 5,000 in the Greater Victoria region.

Quotes:

Grace Lore, MLA for Victoria-Beacon Hill –

“The need for supportive housing in Victoria has reached a critical level. These 135 new modular homes will provide vulnerable members of our community with an affordable and safe place to call home, while accessing the support services that they need.”

Taleeb Noormohamed, MP for Vancouver Granville –

“It is our obligation to extend a helping hand to those in need. By providing safe and secure housing, our government is providing opportunities for these residents to thrive, which also strengthens the fabric of our society. When we lift up our most vulnerable, we all benefit. We must continue to prioritize and invest in programs that assist those in need and ensure that no one is left behind. I am proud to see the opening of House of Courage and the other two projects in the Capital Regional District, as it reaffirms our commitment to creating a more equitable and inclusive society.”

Zac de Vries, board director, CRD, and chair, Capital Regional Housing Corporation –

“With the opening of House of Courage in Victoria, organizations like the Aboriginal Coalition to End Homelessness are better able to assist those struggling to maintain their housing and achieve lasting stability and a long-term recovery from homelessness. Projects like this, which are essential to addressing the region’s housing crisis, are only possible through the ongoing and effective collaborations between local, provincial and federal partners.”

Marianne Alto, mayor of Victoria –

“For Indigenous people at risk of homelessness in the region, these new homes will provide dignity, safety and the opportunity to build secure and stable lives. This project is a testament to the collaborative approach that is needed across all levels of government to address the housing crisis in Victoria. It shows what is possible when we work together to prioritize health, recovery, culture and inclusivity.”

Fran Hunt-Jinnouchi, executive director, Aboriginal Coalition to End Homelessness Society –

“We are honored to do our work on Songhees and Esquimalt Nation territories. We are thankful that this day has come when we can open our doors to our supporters, neighbours, staff and, most importantly, the family members, those who will live, love, strengthen their spirits, find safety, connection to Elders and Knowledge Keepers, as well as healing through decolonized harm reduction deeply rooted in land-based healing.”

[Nparker]

"Every Canadian deserves a safe and affordable place to call home"

It's exactly because my tax dollars are going to homeless shelters that my home is both less safe and less affordable than it used to be.

[Victoria Watcher]

Another temporary shelter plans to become permanent.

 

 

 

The last few residents in a shelter on Russell Street were expected to move out by this weekend into a new 52-unit modular housing project in Saanich, while the final residents in a Howard Johnson hotel on Gorge Road East are expected to join them next week, said Grant McKenzie, communications director for Our Place Society.

 

 

Those leaving the Russell Street building are trading a shelter space containing pods with a single bed, separated from others by temporary walls, for their own rooms with a private bathroom and a kitchen area.

 

B.C. Housing is applying to the City of Victoria to rezone the property, with plans to renovate it for use as a supportive housing facility featuring self-contained studios for people at risk of homelessness.

 

 

https://www.timescol...g-opens-6796433

[Mike K.]

That was always the plan, to convert the shelter (temporary) in to a permanent supportive housing project. Here’s the project: https://victoria.cit...x/?term=Russell

[Nparker]

40 "supportive" housing units require a dozen parking spaces? Using this math, Starlight's Harris Green project needs at least 450 parking spaces for residents.

[Mike K.]

Affordable housing projects often exceed the parking ratios at market projects.

[Nparker]

And what is the CoV's logic for that? Poor people have more cars per capita than middle income folks?

Edited by Nparker, 02 April 2023 - 09:05 AM.

[Victoria Watcher]

No parking carries a stigma of low car ownership among the homeless.

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 02 April 2023 - 09:12 AM.

[Mike K.]

It’s not just a CoV thing, it’s the norm from across the region.

But even in the CoV, affordable projects have high ratios of parking, like the CRD’s Caledonia project at Vic High, which has about 150-units, and over 100 parking stalls, or a ~0.66 ratio.

[Nparker]

I count 3 bus stops within a relatively short distance of Russell Street and transit service is frequent along Esquimalt Road.

[LJ]

"Every Canadian deserves a safe and affordable place to call home"

It's exactly because my tax dollars are going to homeless shelters that my home is both less safe and less affordable than it used to be.

That's because Victoria conflated not criminalizing homelessness with not prosecuting the homeless for criminal acts.

[Victoria Watcher]

And by providing many of the criminals with a private home, they have given many an eviction-free base for their operations, where they can come and go unchecked at all hours of the day and night, and store illicit goods, drugs, weapons and money.

For those that are drug dealers, and those are many, they have also provided a local market for their wares.

That should not have been provided.

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 03 April 2023 - 12:20 AM.

[IPH]

Why is BC Housing bothering to rezone the property?  They just crammed the new supportive housing units on Yates, Meares, and North Park through with no rezoning or opportunity for public input.  Why do the surrounding residents on Russell get an opportunity to object when the rest of the City didn't?  

[Nparker]

Keep in mind that the rezoning decision is a fait accompli with 2/3 of the CoV council. The public hearing is just for show.

[IPH]

True, but it still shows the lack of balance, or equity our provincial government has when dealing with those they are supposed to represent.