27500 replies to this topic

[Victoria Watcher]

City has spent almost $11M on shelter management

The report highlights the rising costs of managing sheltering in parks. Since 2023, the city has spent more than $10.8M on bylaw enforcement, park repairs, waste management, and emergency sheltering efforts.

[Victoria Watcher]

Now. Recall we only have about 175 people “sleeping rough”.

So we have spent about $65,000 on each of them just on enforcement since 2023.

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 15 March 2025 - 06:04 AM.

[Beacon]

That’s right. We were told this was a myth.

 

You are not supposed to believe anything until it is officially denied.

[Victoria Watcher]

A Victoria staff report included with the bylaw change proposals ­indicated Victoria spent $10.8 million over the last two years to manage ­sheltering in public parks, including bylaw services, park staff time and work to repair damage.

 

At the same time, the city spent another $12.5 million on initiatives to support the ­unsheltered community in ­Victoria, such as operations at Dowler Place, partly funding a parks relocation co-ordinator, funding for social-service providers and $8.8 million toward the purchase of 930 Pandora Ave. for an affordable housing project.

 

https://www.timescol...-parks-10389090

 

So leaving out the $8.8M, CoV spent $23.3M in two years.  On the approximately 150 people sleeping rough in the City.  So that's $155,333 per person.

 

What do we have to show for that?

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 18 March 2025 - 09:24 AM.

[Beacon]

A Red Carpet™ that they are desperately trying to roll back in now

[Victoria Watcher]

Alliance to End Homelessness unveils strategic plan to achieve ‘functional zero’ by 2030

 

https://www.capitald...al-zero-by-2030

 

 

 

The pair were asked by the council whether the Alliance was worried about provincial funding drying up.

 

Vanchu-Orosco said she was more concerned about local funding disappearing. “We have a concern of funding drying up at the local level. Victoria was considering removing some of the funding for community programs, and one of the places they were thinking of cutting back is the Alliance.”

 

To combat potential funding shortfalls, the Alliance has pursued various grants, including one with the Vancouver Foundation, which recently launched a $300K funding stream for organizations working to transform systems related to homelessness.

 

The City of Victoria, as a member of the AEHCR, has implemented policies such as bylaw changes to facilitate the creation of new rental housing, prioritization of purpose-built rental units, and tenant protection measures.  The Alliance receives $100K from Victoria which is rolled into the CRD funding it receives each year. 

 

 

 

 

 

https://victoriahome...nual-Report.pdf

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 19 March 2025 - 09:35 PM.

[LJ]

We know where the money comes from and where the money goes, what we don't know is the most important data missing, what is the success rate?

[Barrister]

What success rate, you mean that the "non profit" people pocket a good profit for themselves?

[Victoria Watcher]

London, Ontario has a population similar to the CRD.  448,800.

 

https://london.ca/li...stem-response-5

 

As of December 31, there were 1,595 individuals experiencing homelessness. 

 

 

Unsheltered Homelessness

195* individuals were living unsheltered as of December 31, 2024 - meaning they did not stay in an emergency shelter at all. 

 

 

 

 

 

But their homelessness is almost the same as just the CoV (population 96,000).

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 23 March 2025 - 05:45 PM.

[Victoria Watcher]

Threshold buys $1.7M Oak Bay building in effort to keep youth housed

Homelessness looks different than society often defines, 'It’s not just people living on the streets,' says former youth at risk




Threshold now has 56 housing units, including 34 apartments across the CRD, on six properties, four of them owned.

[…]

He’s also watched the organization grow from a dozen staff to more than 90, and is heartened to hear Silavwe say the people are the heart of the organization.


https://www.vicnews....-housed-7899877



From what I can tell, in one recent year their funding doubled. Why do they need 90 staff to take care of 56 housing units?

In 2023/2024 it was a $4.5M operation.

In 2020 it was $1.1M.

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 25 March 2025 - 05:55 AM.

[Barrister]

We have developed a whole poverty industry that is riding on tax dollars.

[Victoria Watcher]

A large group of volunteers joined staff from several social agencies Wednesday for the region’s biennial homeless count, with the results of their efforts expected to be released Thursday.

“We have multiple teams and about 150 people out to look at 45-plus different sites,” Shelley Cook, executive director of the Community Social Planning Council, said Wednesday. “There’s different waves of volunteers going out at different times.

 

 

[...]

 

 

Counters fanned out on routes all over the region, she said, including downtown, Victoria West, parts of Saanich, the Rainbow Kitchen in Esquimalt and various libraries.

 

[...]

 

 

This year’s count received $134,096 in funding from Reaching Home, the federal homelessness strategy, which was established in 2019.

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is a waste of money, and also can't possibly cost that much.  Everyone, including "volunteers" and the homeless must be getting paid.   Must be interesting conversations in the library.  "sir, are you homeless"?

 

If they find 1,600 people homeless, this count costs $84 for each.

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 26 March 2025 - 10:00 PM.

[Stephen James]

Wonder if they'll publish only the CRD again, embarrassed about the policy disaster they created.

(They like to pretend it's reasonable to hide the concentration in Victoria.)

[Sparky]

Are these volunteers armed with snack bars or 20’s?

[Victoria Watcher]

Are these volunteers armed with snack bars or 20’s?

 

The guidelines say don't reward the participants with much than $10 each.   That still leaves $75 for each survey respondent spent on something.   

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 27 March 2025 - 08:54 AM.

[Victoria Watcher]

Grant makes 'significant' difference for group advocating for unhoused

Sylvia Ceacero, CEO of the Alliance to End Homelessness in the Capital Region, says money is tight for the group, which is down to two full-time employees and three part-timers


https://www.timescol...housed-10440082




Their funding should be set to zero.

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 30 March 2025 - 08:11 AM.

[Citified.ca]

BC Housing has a new supportive housing project planned for Mason Street, opposite the approved 20-storey BC Housing tower. It will be operated by the same agency that manages the Vic West facility on Catherine Street.

 

Supportive housing facility planned opposite BC Housing's 20-storey Pandora tower

https://victoria.cit...-pandora-tower/

Attached Images

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[Victoria Watcher]

‘It’s frightening’: Rising number of fires in Duncan left to businesses to put out

 

https://cheknews.ca/...ut-out-1250422/

[Victoria Watcher]

Nanaimo RCMP found what they believe to be stolen firearms in a search at an encampment at Bowen Park early Friday, following a report of a man arriving at Nanaimo Regional General Hospital with an apparent gunshot injury.

The shooting was reported to have occurred about 6 a.m. in the park, at a location near the intersection of Bowen Road and Wakesiah Avenue.

Reserve Const. Gary O’Brien said while the investigation is in its early stages, it appears the injury may have been self-inflicted. Police were unable to find any other victims and no suspects have been identified, he said.


https://www.timescol...spital-10573785

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 26 April 2025 - 02:07 AM.

[Mike K.]

Poilievre said at his Nanaimo rally yesterday that when he had first come to the city to campaign earlier on in the run up to the election, the person who was to have introduced him had had his tools stolen and went to a camp to confront the thieves. He could not meet with Poilievre because he had sustained injuries.

I assume that’s the same fellow who made the headlines in a case just like that.