One week after it sought more information on how to speed up an end to daytime sheltering, Victoria council decided it wants to hear more about how current efforts are addressing homelessness in the city.
Council on Thursday unanimously supported Coun. Krista Lougton's motion, which asked for an Aug. 1 update on the progress of two homelessness programs that see the city partner with the province and other agencies.
Council in that update is expected to hear: the status of efforts to support unsheltered people and those in encampments; the number of people experiencing homelessness in Victoria; and the projected number of transitional, supportive and shelter-rate homes set to come online.
Loughton said she thinks there's little public awareness about the HEART and HEARTH programs. Those initiatives involve the province striking agreements with individual municipalities around homelessness resources.
Through its deal with B.C., Victoria received additional funding and extra resources in exchange for identifying land and buildings that can be used for social housing, along with expediting the approval of new supportive housing and shelters. Inking the agreement earlier this year also revived the 30-unit sea-can village, formerly known as Tiny Town, for those experiencing homelessness.
Led by BC Housing, HEART coordinates teams of various service providers and aims to resolve encampments through sharing information, addressing mental health and other needs of those living outdoors and analyzing system gaps. HEARTH funds new emergency shelter and housing options.
Loughton and much of council on Thursday repeated Victoria's position that it hosts the vast majority of the region's shelters and supportive housing. It's time for Victoria's neighbours "to stop sitting on their hands" when it comes to providing homelessness services, she said, calling out Saanich and Oak Bay by name.
"There's no reason why one of those communities couldn't take on HEARTH sites," Loughton said after noting Victoria has limited space for those housing options.
As he called on the province to require every community with over 10,000 residents to have a shelter, Coun. Jeremy Caradonna said poverty shouldn't be concentrated in one location and people will fare better if they're able to stay closer to their support networks.
Coun. Dave Thompson added that other municipalities in the region need to do their "fair share."
Council on July 18 voted in favour of asking for ways the city can accelerate the end of daytime sheltering.
The CEO of Our Place Society, which provides various homelessness services, released a statement this week calling for that transition to happen humanly.
"It is crucial that appropriate shelter spaces and mental health supports are available to end street homelessness humanely and effectively. All stakeholders must work together to ensure success," Julian Daly said.
The process must understand that tents are people's homes and needs to ensure individuals sheltering outside are given advanced notice, the CEO added.
"We must avoid repeating last month's sweep, where people were displaced and traumatized," Daly said.
