A series of tweaks to Victoria bylaws aims to aid in understanding where sheltering in city spaces is allowed, and hone the long-held desire to strike a balance between park users.
The series of changes proposed for the parks regulation bylaw, outlined by the city solicitor, for council sitting as committee on March 13 includes replacing the definition of “homeless person” with “person experiencing homelessness” to conform with recent court decisions.
Another simplification, in accordance with court decisions, includes defining “temporary overnight shelter” as overhead protection used by persons experiencing homelessness to prevent exposure to the elements.
“This is an important piece of work because it provides clarity not just to the public and to persons experiencing homelessness but also to the many staff people employed by the city and not-for-profits and by volunteers frankly to understand more concisely just what the parameters are,” Mayor Marianne Alto said.
The tweaks include expressly prohibiting sheltering in all parks, except for a list of 34, in the limited circumstances as directed by court decisions.
The allowable spaces are Alexander Park, Alston Green, Banfield Park, Barnard Park, Begbie Green, Begbie Parkway, Blackwood Green, Bushby Park, Chapman Park, Charles Redfern Park, Clawthorpe Avenue Park,Clover Point, Ernest Todd Park, Fisherman's Wharf Park, Gonzales Beach Park, Gower Park, Holland Point Park, Jackson Street Park, xix. Johnson Street Green, Lime Bay Park, Mary Street Park, Mayfair Green/Tolmie Park, Oaklands Park, Olive Street Green, Oswald Park, Pemberton Park, Redfern Park, Rupert Terrace Green, Scurrah Green, Selkirk Green, Shelbourne Green, Sitkum Park, Songhees Hillside Park and William Stevenson Memorial Park.
“I think that having a list of places where people experiencing homelessness can shelter versus where they cannot shelter when there’s nowhere else to go is more straightforward,” Loughton said.
The changes would include increasing the mandatory distance between playgrounds and temporary overnight shelters from eight metres to 15.
For Alto, the standout is the change that would expressly prohibit any local government or public authority from directing anyone experiencing homelessness to shelter in a park – or sending or bringing them to Victoria – without first securing them accessible shelter or housing.
“That is the very clear statement, that the City of Victoria will no longer accept the placement of individuals in parks when they are placed there by organizations who have the authority to care for them themselves, whether that is another government or public authority, for example, Island Health. That is no longer acceptable,” Alto said, calling a “declaration of what is expected from our colleagues.”
The example of what municipalities can and should provide for health and housing care was echoed around the table.
“This is really critical. It’s arguably a big part of the problem that we have in Victoria, in that we support the region with the service that we provide to unhoused people,” agreed Coun. Krista Loughton. “It’s important for people to understand the municipalities have no means to provide housing and healthcare … We cannot take this abdication of responsibly from upper levels of government lying down; we have to fight back.”
Recommending anyone interested in the topic read the full 38-page report, Coun. Dave Thompson noted the city provides land use approval.
“That’s its role in homelessness,” he said. “People need places to go because otherwise, they’re going to end up on sidewalks and doorways. They’re not going to magically disappear. The city is not going to magically create supportive housing or mental health care, hospitals or detox and treatment facilities because cities can’t, but I hope to see a lot more of the above.”
