The City of Victoria could be looking at an expensive price tag after city staff came back to council with a report of what resources and costs would look like to enforce daytime sheltering bans.
In July, council directed staff to prepare a report with an estimation of the costs relating to enforcement of the legal prohibition of daytime sheltering, and at a Dec. 12 committee of the whole meeting, staff members presented the report which noted an annual estimated cost of $4.7 million.
According to the report, the bylaw department does not have the capacity or resources to adequately address the enforcement of daytime sheltering, which would lead to additional labour costs of $4.1 million, additional equipment costs at $150,000 while "other costs" would be an additional $420,000.
"Based on current bylaw services resourcing levels, achieving the proposed enforcement model would require the city to significantly increase its front-line bylaw staffing and related supports by more than double the current levels," noted the report.
Coun. Dave Thompson cited a paragraph of the report, which explained that though enforcement is a necessary part of an overall strategy to end sheltering, it will not address the underlying causes of homelessness like addiction, mental health, trauma, racism and other systemic issues within the justice system.
"We have heard numerous times from bylaw staff and the police that you can't enforce or arrest your way out of homelessness, and that the upstream causes, which the paragraph laid out, need to be addressed first," Thompson said.
Echoing Thompson's statement, Coun. Krista Laughton asked if there have been, or will be conversations with BC Housing's Homeless Encampment Action Response Team (HEART), which looks to coordinate teams with local service providers and partners to support homelessness response.
City manager Jocelyn Jenkyns said staff is already at the HEART table and they have daily discussions with the provincial government, and there will be future discussions as to where they will focus their efforts.
Currently, sheltering in Victoria is only permitted overnight from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m., or 8 p.m. to 7 a.m. during Daylight Saving Time, in areas specified by the city.
