Victoria council on Thursday requested a report on how to expedite the end of daytime sheltering in most public spaces, but several members tempered expectations as they said the work is already underway and upper levels of government are the only ones who can truly make a difference.
While council supported Coun. Stephen Hammond's motion that directs city officials to put an end to daytime sheltering in parks and on city sidewalks and boulevards, the decision will only see staff report back on how that may be done. Hammond's rational for the motion pointed to an alleged assault on Pandora Avenue this month that garnered a heavy police response after a paramedic was injured.
Staff's report is instructed to estimate how long it would take to realistically end daytime sheltering and identify ways to fund that effort, including pulling funding from other city initiatives.
Mayor Marianne Alto said the motion's work is already underway but called it a direction to act more quickly. She said it will be complementary to her community safety and well-being initiative, which will be coming to council with recommendations in the fall. The mayor also cited the city's memorandum of understanding with B.C. that sees Victoria expedite the approval of more shelters and supportive housing sites in exchange for more provincial resources on addressing homelessness.
Saying the complex issues of the homelessness, mental-health and toxic-drug crises have been downloaded onto the city, several councillors stressed that only the B.C. and federal governments have the resources to reduce homelessness. Multiple councillors said their intention was to "embarrass" those levels of government into doing more on the file.
With the provincial election looming, Coun. Jeremy Caradonna called on all B.C. political parties to say what their plan is to address Pandora Avenue and homelessness. He also said the federal government should treat the situation like the humanitarian crisis it is and deploy national defence forces to quickly build modular housing or provide other supports for the unhoused.
Echoing comments that Victoria's situation isn't unique, Coun. Dave Thompson said homelessness issues are affecting cities across North America.
"This has been created by decades of cuts and neglect to social services," he said, adding that "terrible policies" decades ago by governments that pulled housing, health-care and addiction supports led to the crisis today.
In its time in office, the current council has banned all sheltering in several parks. It also hired a parks relocation coordinator who has been offering housing or other supports to people living in those public areas before bans have come into effect.
Council this week got a letter from the federal housing advocate, who urged them to uphold the humans rights of those sheltering in encampments. The federal official added that Canada has the capacity to address homelessness, but lacks sufficient political will, resources and coordination.
Coun. Krista Loughton stressed that comments by some other councillors were painting all sheltering folks as dangerous or criminal, and said that fails to acknowledge there are seniors, people unable to afford rent and those with mental health issues experiencing homelessness.
The motion also directs the city to work with an array of partner governments, agencies and others – including those who have experienced homelessness – to address harms from daytime sheltering.
