There will be a private work-in-progress screening of the documentary film:
“The Way Home”
on Jan 7th at 3pm @ The Vancity Theater, Vancouver International Film Centre, 1181 Seymour at Davie.
http://www.vifc.org/about/location.htm
This independent community documentary project, being created by a collaborative of formerly street involved, award winning filmmakers, has been in production for the past year throughout the province of BC. The film tells the story of a musician named John who ran away from an abusive family when he was 14 years old and has been a homeless addict on the streets of the Downtown Eastside ever since. Together with, the story of David, the official homelessness opposition critic in the BC Legislature, as he fights to make affordable housing a human right for all. Behind the scenes social, political and bureaucratic dysfunction is revealed through candid interviews with service providers, developers, police, politicians, youth, seniors, working class families, and the homeless people themselves that provide insight into the crisis. While the film explores solutions to the problem, it is a somber reminder that we still have a long road ahead of us to find “The Way Home”.
An educational study guide is being developed in collaboration with SFU to be used within BC classrooms. The film will be distributed via the same model used by Pivot’s: Hope & Shadows Calendar project, employing the un-employed, poor, at-risk, homeless, and/or former street involved persons as vendors earning earn 50% of the revenue from the sales.
Refreshments served and door prizes donated by local community vendors. Feedback forms will be passed out upon entrance. Supporters and partners will be acknowledged and thanked, potential alliances encouraged and explored. We request your attendance to participate in the creation of this project documenting and advocating for change and to learn more about the issue and be a part of the solution!
For more info on this free event or to contribute to the project in any way, please contact: organicfilms@yahoo.com
Monday, January 5, 2009
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Ordering a DVD Copy of 'The Way Home'
There have been some queries as to how people can get a copy of the new work in progress documentary film 'The Way Home.'
If you or your organisation are interested in purchasing a copy of 'The Way Home' please click on the above image and print the document. All monies raised through DVD sales will go directly to the filmmakers.
Monday, December 8, 2008
Penticton Screening
Our screening of "The Way Home" in Penticton took place on Wednesday evening, December 3rd.
A big issue that was discussed after the film was the "Not in My Backyard" syndrome. People were concerned that when social housing, supportive housing or transitional housing come to a neighbourhood, there is often a negative reaction from some in the community. There was consensus that everyone shoould speak out to support these facilitities. Community leaders (especially elected officials) have a special responsibility to be courageous and respectfully oppose those who fear these important initiatives.
We pointed out that the choice is not between social housing in your neighbourhood on the one hand and stability on the other. Rather, the choice is between providing homes for those who need them (and the support for them to be succesful in those homes) or the instability and inhumanity of homelessness that affects every community in the province. Homelessness will not disappear from our neighbourhoods if we ignore it and simply wish it away.
Other issues brought up were the challenge people (especially seniors,) have getting support from the Ministry of Employment and Income Assisitance, and the problems faced by those living in manufactured homes as landlords raise rents and sell off land for development.
The next leg of the tour will be in late January. Watch this blog for our schedule.
A big issue that was discussed after the film was the "Not in My Backyard" syndrome. People were concerned that when social housing, supportive housing or transitional housing come to a neighbourhood, there is often a negative reaction from some in the community. There was consensus that everyone shoould speak out to support these facilitities. Community leaders (especially elected officials) have a special responsibility to be courageous and respectfully oppose those who fear these important initiatives.
We pointed out that the choice is not between social housing in your neighbourhood on the one hand and stability on the other. Rather, the choice is between providing homes for those who need them (and the support for them to be succesful in those homes) or the instability and inhumanity of homelessness that affects every community in the province. Homelessness will not disappear from our neighbourhoods if we ignore it and simply wish it away.
Other issues brought up were the challenge people (especially seniors,) have getting support from the Ministry of Employment and Income Assisitance, and the problems faced by those living in manufactured homes as landlords raise rents and sell off land for development.
The next leg of the tour will be in late January. Watch this blog for our schedule.
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Homeless Film Tour Begins in Kamloops and Kelowna
The first leg of 'The Way Home' film tour has begun this week in Kamloops and Kelowna. People have been very moved by the movie. The issues examined have resonated with everyone who attended. Many have commented that the film is depressing but an accurate and realistic portrayal of the struggles of homeless people in BC today.
In Kamloops, a young woman who was a student talked about her feelings of guilt. She worries that because she lives on a limited income and resides in a low rent apartment, people who have less money than she has can't find a place to live. And she worries that this is a pattern across the province.
A young man who had experienced homelessness thought the film was a realistic portrayal of living on the street.
One man expressed the opinion that municipalities should have the responsiblity and power to create social housing because they are closeset to and understand the problems the best. We agreed but suggested that when senior govermnents provide resources to municipalities there should be a set of principles they must follow in the delivery of housing and services -- the Canada Health Act model.
In Kelowna, reaction was similar. People are looking forward to the opening of a new building in which the Willow project will provide transitional services.
An aboriginal woman spoke movingly and thoughtfully about the reality that aboriginal people are much more likely to be homeless. She expressed her outrage that despite the fact that aboriginal title has not been ceded in most of BC and therefore aboriginal people are potentially wealthy, they still suffer more than the broader population.
There was an excellent discussion, and consensus, that mental health services should be community based. People strongly agree that mental health issues are best dealt with the support of family, community and services providers working together.
In both towns people asked again and again what they could do to help end the crisis of homelessness in BC. We recommend that they demand of federal, provincial and municipal governments that they treat the homelessness crisis as a priority. We also suggested that they work with the Community Advocates for Little Mountain (CALM) who organise 'Stands For Housing' (Saturday afternoon demonstrations to end homelessness on street corners across the province.) Their contact information is CALMhousing@hotmail.com.
More than 65 people attended the screening in Kamloops and more than 75 in Kelowna.
Tonight we screen the film in Penticton at the Okanagan College Lecture Theatre at 7pm. We hope to see you there.
In Kamloops, a young woman who was a student talked about her feelings of guilt. She worries that because she lives on a limited income and resides in a low rent apartment, people who have less money than she has can't find a place to live. And she worries that this is a pattern across the province.
A young man who had experienced homelessness thought the film was a realistic portrayal of living on the street.
One man expressed the opinion that municipalities should have the responsiblity and power to create social housing because they are closeset to and understand the problems the best. We agreed but suggested that when senior govermnents provide resources to municipalities there should be a set of principles they must follow in the delivery of housing and services -- the Canada Health Act model.
In Kelowna, reaction was similar. People are looking forward to the opening of a new building in which the Willow project will provide transitional services.
An aboriginal woman spoke movingly and thoughtfully about the reality that aboriginal people are much more likely to be homeless. She expressed her outrage that despite the fact that aboriginal title has not been ceded in most of BC and therefore aboriginal people are potentially wealthy, they still suffer more than the broader population.
There was an excellent discussion, and consensus, that mental health services should be community based. People strongly agree that mental health issues are best dealt with the support of family, community and services providers working together.
In both towns people asked again and again what they could do to help end the crisis of homelessness in BC. We recommend that they demand of federal, provincial and municipal governments that they treat the homelessness crisis as a priority. We also suggested that they work with the Community Advocates for Little Mountain (CALM) who organise 'Stands For Housing' (Saturday afternoon demonstrations to end homelessness on street corners across the province.) Their contact information is CALMhousing@hotmail.com.
More than 65 people attended the screening in Kamloops and more than 75 in Kelowna.
Tonight we screen the film in Penticton at the Okanagan College Lecture Theatre at 7pm. We hope to see you there.
Monday, December 1, 2008
New Film on Homelessness in BC- The Way Home
Dear Friend,
Today, between 10,000 and 15,000 British Columbians are homeless. They are our neighbours, our sisters and brothers, our sons and daughters.
Last year I traveled to 22 towns and cities across BC and spoke with hundreds of homeless people, service providers and local government officials. Two young film makers, Kevin Fitzgerald and Louvens Remy, followed the tour and did hundreds of hours of additional filming. The result, “The Way Home,” is a moving, thoughtful and informative film. We promised then to return to each of the towns we filmed in to show the movie, we are keeping that commitment.
British Columbians are caring and decent. We want to work together to end homelessness. This film showing is a chance for us to learn more about homelessness, and to speak with one another about what we can do to make our province a better place for every British Columbian.
I look forward to seeing you there.
David Chudnovsky
MLA Vancouver-Kensington
December 1st: Kamloops- 7pm Henry Grube Centre, 245 Kitchener
December 2nd: Kelowna- 7pm, Habitat 248 Leon Ave
December 3rd: Penticton- 7pm, Okanagan College, Lecture Theatre, 583 Duncan Ave.
Please check back for detailed reports on each of these movie screenings.
Today, between 10,000 and 15,000 British Columbians are homeless. They are our neighbours, our sisters and brothers, our sons and daughters.
Last year I traveled to 22 towns and cities across BC and spoke with hundreds of homeless people, service providers and local government officials. Two young film makers, Kevin Fitzgerald and Louvens Remy, followed the tour and did hundreds of hours of additional filming. The result, “The Way Home,” is a moving, thoughtful and informative film. We promised then to return to each of the towns we filmed in to show the movie, we are keeping that commitment.
British Columbians are caring and decent. We want to work together to end homelessness. This film showing is a chance for us to learn more about homelessness, and to speak with one another about what we can do to make our province a better place for every British Columbian.
I look forward to seeing you there.
David Chudnovsky
MLA Vancouver-Kensington
December 1st: Kamloops- 7pm Henry Grube Centre, 245 Kitchener
December 2nd: Kelowna- 7pm, Habitat 248 Leon Ave
December 3rd: Penticton- 7pm, Okanagan College, Lecture Theatre, 583 Duncan Ave.
Please check back for detailed reports on each of these movie screenings.
Carole James Introduces Homelessness Crisis Bill
Carole James, Leader of the Opposition, introduced a bill to deal with British Columbia's homelessness crisis on November 27th in the Legislature. The full text of the bill follows:
HER MAJESTY, by and with the advice and consent of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of British Columbia,
enacts as follows:
Definitions
1 “Minister” means the Minister of Forests and Range
“the plan” means the five-year plan referred to in section 1
Establishment of a five-year plan for the elimination of homelessness
2 (1) The Minister must establish a comprehensive five-year plan to resolve the crisis of homelessness in British
Columbia.
(2) The plan must have annual targets and timelines for the reduction of the number of homeless people in British Columbia.
(3) The plan must address the problem of homelessness both in rural and urban areas of British Columbia.
(4) The Auditor General must review annually the targets, timelines, and results of the Minister’s plan, and report his or her findings to the Legislative Assembly.
Coming into force
3 This Act comes into force on the date of Royal Assent
HER MAJESTY, by and with the advice and consent of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of British Columbia,
enacts as follows:
Definitions
1 “Minister” means the Minister of Forests and Range
“the plan” means the five-year plan referred to in section 1
Establishment of a five-year plan for the elimination of homelessness
2 (1) The Minister must establish a comprehensive five-year plan to resolve the crisis of homelessness in British
Columbia.
(2) The plan must have annual targets and timelines for the reduction of the number of homeless people in British Columbia.
(3) The plan must address the problem of homelessness both in rural and urban areas of British Columbia.
(4) The Auditor General must review annually the targets, timelines, and results of the Minister’s plan, and report his or her findings to the Legislative Assembly.
Coming into force
3 This Act comes into force on the date of Royal Assent
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Finding Our Way Home -- Recommendations
This is the sixth in a series of excerpts from the report on homelessness in BC, "Finding Our Way Home" prepared by David Chudnovsky, Opposition Critic for Homelessness in the Legislature. Today's portion lays out the twelve key recommendations of the report. The complete report can be read at http://www.bcndpcaucus.ca/files/HomelessReport-low.pdf
1) Re-establish the Ministry of Housing
Housing and homelessness are currently addressed by the Ministry of Forests and Range. In order to deal effectively with this crisis and to ensure the necessary coordination, setting of standards and accountability, the focus and resources of a stand-alone ministry and a dedicated minister are required.
2) Eliminate the homeless crisis in 5 years
The Homelessness Act 2008, which will be introduced by MLA David Chudnovsky in the fall session of the legislature, commits government to a plan to eliminate the crisis within 5 years. The plan must address problems in both rural and urban areas, and require the minister to establish annual targets and timelines for the reduction of homelessness. It will also mandate the Auditor General to report yearly on progress.
There are precedents from all over North America where it has been recognized that a concrete plan and goal to end homelessness are required to really make it happen. Today more than 300 US communities have committed themselves to plans as part of a nationwide effort to end homelessness in the United States.
It is, perhaps, important to comment briefly about the so-called “Portland Model”. We have much to learn from Portland, especially their commitment to “Housing First.” That city reduced homelessness by 70% in the first 18 months of their plan.
However, the situation in Portland (and many American cities which have begun to deal with homelessness) is significantly different from ours in at least one significant aspect. Portland had the ‘advantage’ of a healthy vacancy rate and therefore the availability of rooms and apartments into which homeless people could be placed. BC is not in the same situation. Low vacancy rates are a problem in almost every city and town in the province.
3) Re-invest in a social housing program
Key to eliminating the homelessness crisis is re-investment in a social housing program. At a minimum, a commitment to 2400 units immediately, plus 1200 annually is required.
The $250 million currently in the B.C. Housing Endowment Fund should be reallocated as an emergency infusion of funds towards these units.
In addition, innovative partnerships must be utilized to further expand the number of units. An end to the homeless crisis requires commitment and participation from all 3 levels of government, the private sector, non-profit organizations and other community institutions and organizations. The more partners willing to participate in the strategy, the more housing units can be built and more supports for success can be put in place.
A result of the dramatic shortage of homes is the development of serious bottlenecks in the shelter/housing that is available. For instance, emergency shelter staff report that people are staying much longer in their facilities than they had in the past, and staff are often ignoring the guidelines and allowing people to stay longer than the period to which they are entitled. As well, homeless people are often moving from one emergency shelter to another rather than finding permanent homes.
Similarly, there are reports from a number of service providers who administer transitional housing that clients are staying longer than they are supposed to because there is simply no place for them to go.
4) Support local governments and community organizations
Local government is a key partner in the battle to end homelessness. More needs to be done to facilitate and encourage local government to work with housing and community organizations and neighbourhoods. Many small and medium sized communities do not have the internal capacity to respond to homelessness. The establishment of a Small Communities Fund would provide resources to assist in the development of housing and other solutions.
Community Charter tools like inclusionary zoning, which require a percentage of affordable/social housing in developments over a certain size to facilitate
a mix of housing, need to be enhanced.
The Vancouver Social Housing Amendment Act, 2008 was introduced by MLA Jenny Kwan. This bill amends the Vancouver Charter to allow for increased density as compensation for the creation of social housing. These tools can be used to create units for people who are hard to house, as well as families with children,
seniors and individuals.
5) Focus on the whole province
Many think homelessness is a Lower Mainland problem or even simply a downtown eastside problem. The crisis exists in almost every city and town across BC. The government must focus on solutions for the whole province.
6) Expand social housing on existing sites
Existing social housing sites offer a valuable opportunity to increase the stock of social housing. When redevelopment takes place, a minimum of two for one replacement of existing units where the site and zoning allow it.
7) Include four key elements in social housing and support programs
In order to effectivively address the homelessness crisis, the following principles must be incorporated into any social housing and support programs:
• “Housing First plus the supports necessary for suc-
cess” including low barrier programs to meet
people where they are. A theme of the consulta-
tion was serious lack of, and the need for many
more “damp,” or “wet” services for people who are
homeless. This is a component part of the “Hous-
ing First” approach, which insists that people do
not have to “clean themselves up” before they
are entitled to a place to live. However these kinds
of facilities (whether emergency shelters, transi-
tion housing etc.) are extremely hard to find and
the ones that do exist are overburdened and un-
der resourced.
Specific targeted programs are needed to meet
the needs of people coming out of jail who are
discharged to shelters, children in care transition
ing to adulthood, people coming out of hospitals
with nowhere to go and first nations people;
• Homelessness prevention including support for
third party rentals by organizations so people with
out references/experience renting can get housing;
a program that provides support for small
landlords who house people who are hard to
house; and emergency support for tenants to keep
their housing;
• Adequate infrastructure including the provision of
adequate staffing resources for organizations pro-
viding housing for the hard to house;
• Accountability to ensure that programs meet targets
and standards.
8) Maintain and expand the public land bank
Social housing and the land it sits on is a legacy for our province which should not be sold off. If government chooses to derive additional income from this land then it should be leased, not sold.
To reduce the cost of public social housing, federal, provincial and municipally owned land should be utilized. In addition, SRO sites in communities like the Downtown Eastside can be used as land for social housing.
9) Protect manufactured home tenants
The Manufactured Home Park Tenancy Amendment Act 2008 introduced by New Democrat MLA Harry Bains strengthens the rights and security of tenure for tenants living in manufactured home parks. This is essential to preventing displacement and increased homelessness.
10) Strengthen security of tenure and rights for tenants
The Residential Tenancy Act Amendment Act 2008 introduced by New Democrat Opposition MLA Diane Thorne provides more protection for tenants facing eviction and provides new rights for tenants to move back into their homes after renovations at reasonable rents. A second Residential Tenancy Act Amendment Act 2008 introduced by New Democrat Opposition MLA Jenny Kwan institutes a rent freeze on single room accommodations for a three-year period to ensure rents do not skyrocket during the 2010 Olympics. Both of these initiatives are key to preventing increased homelessness.
Ministry of Employment and Income Assistance policy allows security deposits to be provided to clients only twice. In rare circumstances a third deposit is provided. This does not make sense. The consequence of the policy is that people are prevented
from accessing an apartment or room simply because they do not have the “up front” money for a security deposit.
The Ministry argues that once someone has lost a damage deposit twice it is inappropriate to provide a third one. But this ignores a number of factors. Many people are unaware that they are entitled to have their deposit returned when they leave a rental. Some landlords cheat and choose not to return the deposit even when the renter is entitled to it. For people in marginalized situations a dispute over a security deposit and engagement with the residential tenancy branch is a forbidding and difficult process.
11) Increase income assistance rates and the minimum wage
Inadequate income levels must be increased if British Columbians are to be able to afford housing and the barriers to getting on and staying on income assistance need to be addressed.
12) Increase mental health and addiction services
Homelessness is linked to many other social determinants such as poverty, mental health and addiction. In addition to the recommendations above, increasing mental health and addiction services is essential to effectively addressing homelessness.
A significant problem is the lack of mental health and addictions programs in the regions. Services in Vancouver are inadequate, but the situation outside of the Lower Mainland is even worse. One of the results is that people who need support and treatment flock to Vancouver, and often to the downtown eastside, because there is at least a chance they will get much needed services.
This places an added burden on already dramatically overburdened service providers in Vancouver while it removes fragile people from their own communities where they may have useful family and social supports.
1) Re-establish the Ministry of Housing
Housing and homelessness are currently addressed by the Ministry of Forests and Range. In order to deal effectively with this crisis and to ensure the necessary coordination, setting of standards and accountability, the focus and resources of a stand-alone ministry and a dedicated minister are required.
2) Eliminate the homeless crisis in 5 years
The Homelessness Act 2008, which will be introduced by MLA David Chudnovsky in the fall session of the legislature, commits government to a plan to eliminate the crisis within 5 years. The plan must address problems in both rural and urban areas, and require the minister to establish annual targets and timelines for the reduction of homelessness. It will also mandate the Auditor General to report yearly on progress.
There are precedents from all over North America where it has been recognized that a concrete plan and goal to end homelessness are required to really make it happen. Today more than 300 US communities have committed themselves to plans as part of a nationwide effort to end homelessness in the United States.
It is, perhaps, important to comment briefly about the so-called “Portland Model”. We have much to learn from Portland, especially their commitment to “Housing First.” That city reduced homelessness by 70% in the first 18 months of their plan.
However, the situation in Portland (and many American cities which have begun to deal with homelessness) is significantly different from ours in at least one significant aspect. Portland had the ‘advantage’ of a healthy vacancy rate and therefore the availability of rooms and apartments into which homeless people could be placed. BC is not in the same situation. Low vacancy rates are a problem in almost every city and town in the province.
3) Re-invest in a social housing program
Key to eliminating the homelessness crisis is re-investment in a social housing program. At a minimum, a commitment to 2400 units immediately, plus 1200 annually is required.
The $250 million currently in the B.C. Housing Endowment Fund should be reallocated as an emergency infusion of funds towards these units.
In addition, innovative partnerships must be utilized to further expand the number of units. An end to the homeless crisis requires commitment and participation from all 3 levels of government, the private sector, non-profit organizations and other community institutions and organizations. The more partners willing to participate in the strategy, the more housing units can be built and more supports for success can be put in place.
A result of the dramatic shortage of homes is the development of serious bottlenecks in the shelter/housing that is available. For instance, emergency shelter staff report that people are staying much longer in their facilities than they had in the past, and staff are often ignoring the guidelines and allowing people to stay longer than the period to which they are entitled. As well, homeless people are often moving from one emergency shelter to another rather than finding permanent homes.
Similarly, there are reports from a number of service providers who administer transitional housing that clients are staying longer than they are supposed to because there is simply no place for them to go.
4) Support local governments and community organizations
Local government is a key partner in the battle to end homelessness. More needs to be done to facilitate and encourage local government to work with housing and community organizations and neighbourhoods. Many small and medium sized communities do not have the internal capacity to respond to homelessness. The establishment of a Small Communities Fund would provide resources to assist in the development of housing and other solutions.
Community Charter tools like inclusionary zoning, which require a percentage of affordable/social housing in developments over a certain size to facilitate
a mix of housing, need to be enhanced.
The Vancouver Social Housing Amendment Act, 2008 was introduced by MLA Jenny Kwan. This bill amends the Vancouver Charter to allow for increased density as compensation for the creation of social housing. These tools can be used to create units for people who are hard to house, as well as families with children,
seniors and individuals.
5) Focus on the whole province
Many think homelessness is a Lower Mainland problem or even simply a downtown eastside problem. The crisis exists in almost every city and town across BC. The government must focus on solutions for the whole province.
6) Expand social housing on existing sites
Existing social housing sites offer a valuable opportunity to increase the stock of social housing. When redevelopment takes place, a minimum of two for one replacement of existing units where the site and zoning allow it.
7) Include four key elements in social housing and support programs
In order to effectivively address the homelessness crisis, the following principles must be incorporated into any social housing and support programs:
• “Housing First plus the supports necessary for suc-
cess” including low barrier programs to meet
people where they are. A theme of the consulta-
tion was serious lack of, and the need for many
more “damp,” or “wet” services for people who are
homeless. This is a component part of the “Hous-
ing First” approach, which insists that people do
not have to “clean themselves up” before they
are entitled to a place to live. However these kinds
of facilities (whether emergency shelters, transi-
tion housing etc.) are extremely hard to find and
the ones that do exist are overburdened and un-
der resourced.
Specific targeted programs are needed to meet
the needs of people coming out of jail who are
discharged to shelters, children in care transition
ing to adulthood, people coming out of hospitals
with nowhere to go and first nations people;
• Homelessness prevention including support for
third party rentals by organizations so people with
out references/experience renting can get housing;
a program that provides support for small
landlords who house people who are hard to
house; and emergency support for tenants to keep
their housing;
• Adequate infrastructure including the provision of
adequate staffing resources for organizations pro-
viding housing for the hard to house;
• Accountability to ensure that programs meet targets
and standards.
8) Maintain and expand the public land bank
Social housing and the land it sits on is a legacy for our province which should not be sold off. If government chooses to derive additional income from this land then it should be leased, not sold.
To reduce the cost of public social housing, federal, provincial and municipally owned land should be utilized. In addition, SRO sites in communities like the Downtown Eastside can be used as land for social housing.
9) Protect manufactured home tenants
The Manufactured Home Park Tenancy Amendment Act 2008 introduced by New Democrat MLA Harry Bains strengthens the rights and security of tenure for tenants living in manufactured home parks. This is essential to preventing displacement and increased homelessness.
10) Strengthen security of tenure and rights for tenants
The Residential Tenancy Act Amendment Act 2008 introduced by New Democrat Opposition MLA Diane Thorne provides more protection for tenants facing eviction and provides new rights for tenants to move back into their homes after renovations at reasonable rents. A second Residential Tenancy Act Amendment Act 2008 introduced by New Democrat Opposition MLA Jenny Kwan institutes a rent freeze on single room accommodations for a three-year period to ensure rents do not skyrocket during the 2010 Olympics. Both of these initiatives are key to preventing increased homelessness.
Ministry of Employment and Income Assistance policy allows security deposits to be provided to clients only twice. In rare circumstances a third deposit is provided. This does not make sense. The consequence of the policy is that people are prevented
from accessing an apartment or room simply because they do not have the “up front” money for a security deposit.
The Ministry argues that once someone has lost a damage deposit twice it is inappropriate to provide a third one. But this ignores a number of factors. Many people are unaware that they are entitled to have their deposit returned when they leave a rental. Some landlords cheat and choose not to return the deposit even when the renter is entitled to it. For people in marginalized situations a dispute over a security deposit and engagement with the residential tenancy branch is a forbidding and difficult process.
11) Increase income assistance rates and the minimum wage
Inadequate income levels must be increased if British Columbians are to be able to afford housing and the barriers to getting on and staying on income assistance need to be addressed.
12) Increase mental health and addiction services
Homelessness is linked to many other social determinants such as poverty, mental health and addiction. In addition to the recommendations above, increasing mental health and addiction services is essential to effectively addressing homelessness.
A significant problem is the lack of mental health and addictions programs in the regions. Services in Vancouver are inadequate, but the situation outside of the Lower Mainland is even worse. One of the results is that people who need support and treatment flock to Vancouver, and often to the downtown eastside, because there is at least a chance they will get much needed services.
This places an added burden on already dramatically overburdened service providers in Vancouver while it removes fragile people from their own communities where they may have useful family and social supports.
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
The Campbell Government Response
This is the fifth in a series of excerpts from the report on homelessness in BC, "Finding Our Way Home" prepared by David Chudnovsky, Opposition Critic for Homelessness in the Legislature. The complete report can be read at http://www.bcndpcaucus.ca/files/HomelessReport-low.pdf
The Campbell Liberal Government has focused much of its effort regarding homelessness on a series of strategies which, while in some cases laudable, do little to reduce the numbers of people without a place to live.
The Ministry, through BC Housing, has expanded the number of “outreach workers” whose responsibility is to make contact with homeless people (often at street level), connect them with various programs and services, attempt to find housing, and sometimes to provide minimal ongoing support. These workers are enormously committed and do excellent work. But even the best and most committed outreach worker cannot house someone if a home is not available.
A second element of the Campbell government’s strategy is the purchase of low-rent hotels (SROs), mostly in Vancouver but also in a couple of other centres.
This too is a good idea, as it protects some small part of the existing stock of low-rent units. But this strategy does absolutely nothing to deal with the 10,000 – 15,000 people who are currently homeless because it simply protects what already exists. People live in those SROs already. Protecting an existing stock is helpful, but it doesn’t help solve the crisis of homelessness in the province.
A third part of the government’s strategy is increasing emergency shelter beds and expanding the hours during which they are open. People use emergency shelters as temporary places to stay when they have nowhere else to live.
Creating emergency shelter beds is necessary. We face a homelessness emergency. But are shelter beds homes? No. Is this a strategy for solving homelessness? Absolutely not.
An additional problem is that the government inappropriately includes emergency shelter beds in their count of housing units they have built since 2001.
Another part of the Campbell government strategy on homelessness is to increase the number of rent subsidies. Rent subsidies are a useful tool in dealing with homelessness problems in some circumstances as long as there is a stock of vacant rental units available. But in the context of a hot real estate market, where there is a 0.1 percent or 0.5 percent or a 1 percent vacancy rate, rent supplements are simply a gift to landlords. The province provides the rent subsidies, and the landlords, because of the high demand, raise the rents.
The Campbell Liberal Government has focused much of its effort regarding homelessness on a series of strategies which, while in some cases laudable, do little to reduce the numbers of people without a place to live.
The Ministry, through BC Housing, has expanded the number of “outreach workers” whose responsibility is to make contact with homeless people (often at street level), connect them with various programs and services, attempt to find housing, and sometimes to provide minimal ongoing support. These workers are enormously committed and do excellent work. But even the best and most committed outreach worker cannot house someone if a home is not available.
A second element of the Campbell government’s strategy is the purchase of low-rent hotels (SROs), mostly in Vancouver but also in a couple of other centres.
This too is a good idea, as it protects some small part of the existing stock of low-rent units. But this strategy does absolutely nothing to deal with the 10,000 – 15,000 people who are currently homeless because it simply protects what already exists. People live in those SROs already. Protecting an existing stock is helpful, but it doesn’t help solve the crisis of homelessness in the province.
A third part of the government’s strategy is increasing emergency shelter beds and expanding the hours during which they are open. People use emergency shelters as temporary places to stay when they have nowhere else to live.
Creating emergency shelter beds is necessary. We face a homelessness emergency. But are shelter beds homes? No. Is this a strategy for solving homelessness? Absolutely not.
An additional problem is that the government inappropriately includes emergency shelter beds in their count of housing units they have built since 2001.
Another part of the Campbell government strategy on homelessness is to increase the number of rent subsidies. Rent subsidies are a useful tool in dealing with homelessness problems in some circumstances as long as there is a stock of vacant rental units available. But in the context of a hot real estate market, where there is a 0.1 percent or 0.5 percent or a 1 percent vacancy rate, rent supplements are simply a gift to landlords. The province provides the rent subsidies, and the landlords, because of the high demand, raise the rents.
Monday, July 28, 2008
Why We Should End Homelessness
This is the fourth in a series of excerpts from the report on homelessness in BC, "Finding Our Way Home" prepared by David Chudnovsky, Opposition Critic for Homelessness in the Legislature. The complete report can be read at http://www.bcndpcaucus.ca/files/HomelessReport-low.pdf
It might seem unnecessary to ask why it is important to deal with the crisis of homelessness in BC. However, significant government commitment and resources are required, and governing is always about making choices. Therefore, the rationales for action are important.
The most important reason to solve the crisis is that it is the right thing to do. People in our province deserve a place to live and we have the resources to make that possible. British Columbians are caring and decent people and believe that everyone is entitled to a home.
Second, homelessness is both a disruption to the lives of those who have nowhere to live and to the stability of our communities. Most British Columbians are ashamed and embarrassed that we face such a crisis. They are rightly uncomfortable when they see people sleeping on the streets or lining up for emergency shelters.
But solutions are not without controversy. Mark Twain wrote, “Everybody is in favour of progress. It’s change they don’t like.” While public opinion increasingly demands solutions to the homelessness crisis, the shrill voices of those who want the solution anywhere but in their own backyards are heard every time a new project is announced.
The leaders of our community, and in particular governmental leaders at the federal, provincial and municipal levels must be proactive in reminding everyone that solutions involve change – and in supporting that change even if it has short-term political consequences. The alternative is the status quo – the warehousing of the poor and marginalized in out-of-the-way neighbourhoods. That strategy is not only inequitable, experience shows it is also unsuccessful.
Finally, providing homes and support for those who are homeless is significantly cheaper than continuing to do what we have been doing. We expend enormous resources on ambulance service, emergency ward treatment, acute care beds, police officers, court trials and hearings, prisons, emergency shelters and much more, when housing and supports are more appropriate and more cost effective measures.
The Vancouver Police Department report ‘Lost in Transition’, describes both the crisis in the provision of street level mental health services and treatment, and just some of the increased costs that result.
“A conservative economic analysis suggests that police time spent dealing with incidents where a person’s mental illness was a contributing factor in police attendance is equivalent to 90 full-time police officers, at an annual cost of $9 million. This would not include indirect policing costs, or the costs to other agencies such as the ambulance service, hospitals, or the court system … The key finding of this research is that there is a profound lack of capacity in mental health resources in Vancouver. The result is an alarmingly high number of calls for police service to incidents that involve mentally ill people in crisis. VPD officers, along with the citizens with whom they come in contact, are bearing the burden of a mental health system that lacks resources and efficient information sharing practices, often with tragic consequences. In an effort to address the current situation, several recommendations are made that centre on the need to better serve people who are mentally ill in Vancouver” (Vancouver Police Department, ‘Lost in Transition’)
The Simon Fraser University Report, ‘Housing and Support for Adults with Severe Addictions and/or Mental Illness in British Columbia’, concludes that $18,000 per year can be saved per person with provi¬sion of adequate housing and supports.
“… the average street homeless adult with SAMI in BC costs the public system in excess of $55,000 per year. Provision of adequate housing and supports is estimated to reduce this cost to $37,000 per year. This results in an overall ‘cost avoidance’ of about $211 million per year. The ‘cost avoidance’ in health care and provincial corrections institution costs are more than sufficient to offset the capital costs and the costs of providing housing supports to those who are absolutely homeless.”
(Housing and Support for Adults with Severe Addictions and/or Mental Illness in British Columbia)
Tim Richter, President & CEO of the Calgary Homeless Foundation makes an even more dramatic calculation. He reports that in Calgary at least $323 million was spent in 2007 which equals $134,000 per chronically homeless person per year.
Using the more conservative Simon Fraser calculation (a savings of $18,000 per year per homeless person) and their relatively conservative number of 11,500 homeless people, British Columbia could save more than $1 billion over five years by housing the homeless.
It might seem unnecessary to ask why it is important to deal with the crisis of homelessness in BC. However, significant government commitment and resources are required, and governing is always about making choices. Therefore, the rationales for action are important.
The most important reason to solve the crisis is that it is the right thing to do. People in our province deserve a place to live and we have the resources to make that possible. British Columbians are caring and decent people and believe that everyone is entitled to a home.
Second, homelessness is both a disruption to the lives of those who have nowhere to live and to the stability of our communities. Most British Columbians are ashamed and embarrassed that we face such a crisis. They are rightly uncomfortable when they see people sleeping on the streets or lining up for emergency shelters.
But solutions are not without controversy. Mark Twain wrote, “Everybody is in favour of progress. It’s change they don’t like.” While public opinion increasingly demands solutions to the homelessness crisis, the shrill voices of those who want the solution anywhere but in their own backyards are heard every time a new project is announced.
The leaders of our community, and in particular governmental leaders at the federal, provincial and municipal levels must be proactive in reminding everyone that solutions involve change – and in supporting that change even if it has short-term political consequences. The alternative is the status quo – the warehousing of the poor and marginalized in out-of-the-way neighbourhoods. That strategy is not only inequitable, experience shows it is also unsuccessful.
Finally, providing homes and support for those who are homeless is significantly cheaper than continuing to do what we have been doing. We expend enormous resources on ambulance service, emergency ward treatment, acute care beds, police officers, court trials and hearings, prisons, emergency shelters and much more, when housing and supports are more appropriate and more cost effective measures.
The Vancouver Police Department report ‘Lost in Transition’, describes both the crisis in the provision of street level mental health services and treatment, and just some of the increased costs that result.
“A conservative economic analysis suggests that police time spent dealing with incidents where a person’s mental illness was a contributing factor in police attendance is equivalent to 90 full-time police officers, at an annual cost of $9 million. This would not include indirect policing costs, or the costs to other agencies such as the ambulance service, hospitals, or the court system … The key finding of this research is that there is a profound lack of capacity in mental health resources in Vancouver. The result is an alarmingly high number of calls for police service to incidents that involve mentally ill people in crisis. VPD officers, along with the citizens with whom they come in contact, are bearing the burden of a mental health system that lacks resources and efficient information sharing practices, often with tragic consequences. In an effort to address the current situation, several recommendations are made that centre on the need to better serve people who are mentally ill in Vancouver” (Vancouver Police Department, ‘Lost in Transition’)
The Simon Fraser University Report, ‘Housing and Support for Adults with Severe Addictions and/or Mental Illness in British Columbia’, concludes that $18,000 per year can be saved per person with provi¬sion of adequate housing and supports.
“… the average street homeless adult with SAMI in BC costs the public system in excess of $55,000 per year. Provision of adequate housing and supports is estimated to reduce this cost to $37,000 per year. This results in an overall ‘cost avoidance’ of about $211 million per year. The ‘cost avoidance’ in health care and provincial corrections institution costs are more than sufficient to offset the capital costs and the costs of providing housing supports to those who are absolutely homeless.”
(Housing and Support for Adults with Severe Addictions and/or Mental Illness in British Columbia)
Tim Richter, President & CEO of the Calgary Homeless Foundation makes an even more dramatic calculation. He reports that in Calgary at least $323 million was spent in 2007 which equals $134,000 per chronically homeless person per year.
Using the more conservative Simon Fraser calculation (a savings of $18,000 per year per homeless person) and their relatively conservative number of 11,500 homeless people, British Columbia could save more than $1 billion over five years by housing the homeless.
Friday, July 25, 2008
The Homelessness Crisis In BC - Why Now?
This is the third in a series of excerpts from the report on homelessness in BC, "Finding Our Way Home" prepared by David Chudnovsky, Opposition Critic for Homelessness in the Legislature. The complete report can be read at http://www.bcndpcaucus.ca/files/HomelessReport-low.pdf
There are many reasons why homelessness has reached the staggering level it has in British Columbia. The federal government must take its share of the blame. In 1994 the federal housing program was cancelled. It provided tens of thousands of high quality social housing and co-op housing units.
By 2001, British Columbia was one of only two provinces in the country with a provincial social housing program. But the Gordon Campbell Liberal government cancelled that program in 2002. If it had simply continued, there would be at least 4,000 additional low-rent units of housing in British Columbia.
Income is an important variable in providing the possibility for affordable housing. But it’s clear that incomes have lagged dramatically behind the cost of housing. 250,000 employed British Columbians make $10 an hour or less. It’s virtually impossible at such a wage level to find adequate and affordable housing.
The administration at Kelowna’s Mission Gospel emergency shelter reported that 30% of people who use the shelter get up in the morning and go to work. This has been confirmed in other emergency shelters, soup kitchens and food banks across the province.
Those on income assistance have an even bigger challenge in finding affordable housing. The $375 per month shelter allowance for single people is totally inadequate. It forces people to supplement their rents with money that should be going to food, clothing, transportation and other purposes. The Campbell Liberals created barriers (such as the 3 week wait, 2 year independence test, etc.) which make it much harder to get on income assistance and stay on income assistance.
A recent report of the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives which followed welfare recipients in BC since 2004 found that 100% of those studied who were forced to leave welfare became homeless.
The de-institutionalization of people with mental health problems has also contributed to homelessness. Without adequate community-based mental health services many people become vulnerable to homelessness, and to many other challenges – drugs and drug addiction, physical and sexual abuse, intimidation etc.
The recent report of the Vancouver Police Department calls attention to the woeful lack of health services for this population and subsequently the inappropriate and wasteful use of police services to deal with health issues.
Another extremely significant factor which has led to the current crisis of homelessness is the cruel irony that with the dramatic rise in the value of real property there has been a dramatic increase in homelessness. When the cost of buying homes at the top of the market increases, the demand, and therefore the price of housing in the cheapest part of the market increases too.
This is the case, it is worth noting, not just in the Lower Mainland but in communities across the province. So while some British Columbians have become wealthy because the value of their homes have appreciated, many of their neighbours have become homeless as part of the same phenomenon.
The lesson here is that the market alone will not and cannot resolve the current crisis of homelessness in the province.
Also adding pressure to the stock of affordable housing, is the drive to re-develop manufactured home parks, especially in smaller centres across the province. Decades ago, when many of these parks were established, they were often at the outskirts of towns and cities. With the passage of time and the expansion of municipalities, they are now closer to the centre and the land on which they sit has increased in value. As many of these parks are closed and developed they contribute to the problem. A great number of the manufactured homes cannot be moved and their owners are at grave risk of becoming homeless.
Because of the critical shortage of low-cost rental accommodation, landlords are in a position to pick and choose tenants. One phenomenon which has been reported is landlords not only doing credit checks on potential tenants, but criminal record checks as well. Obviously, someone who has been homeless for any length of time has little hope of getting past these obstacles.
“10,500 people are homeless in British Columbia. That’s the population of Williams Lake. If tomorrow the people of Williams Lake had a catastrophe, if there was a flood or a fire and every one of them lost their homes, we as a people, as British Columbians who are caring and decent people, would get together and find homes for those people. We’d build homes for those people. We’d solve their problem. And we’d do it quickly. Today in British Columbia that’s the crisis we have. More people than the population of Williams Lake are homeless today in British Columbia. It’s time for government to take it seriously, to roll up their sleeves and to find a solution for those people.”
- David Chudnovsky
There are many reasons why homelessness has reached the staggering level it has in British Columbia. The federal government must take its share of the blame. In 1994 the federal housing program was cancelled. It provided tens of thousands of high quality social housing and co-op housing units.
By 2001, British Columbia was one of only two provinces in the country with a provincial social housing program. But the Gordon Campbell Liberal government cancelled that program in 2002. If it had simply continued, there would be at least 4,000 additional low-rent units of housing in British Columbia.
Income is an important variable in providing the possibility for affordable housing. But it’s clear that incomes have lagged dramatically behind the cost of housing. 250,000 employed British Columbians make $10 an hour or less. It’s virtually impossible at such a wage level to find adequate and affordable housing.
The administration at Kelowna’s Mission Gospel emergency shelter reported that 30% of people who use the shelter get up in the morning and go to work. This has been confirmed in other emergency shelters, soup kitchens and food banks across the province.
Those on income assistance have an even bigger challenge in finding affordable housing. The $375 per month shelter allowance for single people is totally inadequate. It forces people to supplement their rents with money that should be going to food, clothing, transportation and other purposes. The Campbell Liberals created barriers (such as the 3 week wait, 2 year independence test, etc.) which make it much harder to get on income assistance and stay on income assistance.
A recent report of the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives which followed welfare recipients in BC since 2004 found that 100% of those studied who were forced to leave welfare became homeless.
The de-institutionalization of people with mental health problems has also contributed to homelessness. Without adequate community-based mental health services many people become vulnerable to homelessness, and to many other challenges – drugs and drug addiction, physical and sexual abuse, intimidation etc.
The recent report of the Vancouver Police Department calls attention to the woeful lack of health services for this population and subsequently the inappropriate and wasteful use of police services to deal with health issues.
Another extremely significant factor which has led to the current crisis of homelessness is the cruel irony that with the dramatic rise in the value of real property there has been a dramatic increase in homelessness. When the cost of buying homes at the top of the market increases, the demand, and therefore the price of housing in the cheapest part of the market increases too.
This is the case, it is worth noting, not just in the Lower Mainland but in communities across the province. So while some British Columbians have become wealthy because the value of their homes have appreciated, many of their neighbours have become homeless as part of the same phenomenon.
The lesson here is that the market alone will not and cannot resolve the current crisis of homelessness in the province.
Also adding pressure to the stock of affordable housing, is the drive to re-develop manufactured home parks, especially in smaller centres across the province. Decades ago, when many of these parks were established, they were often at the outskirts of towns and cities. With the passage of time and the expansion of municipalities, they are now closer to the centre and the land on which they sit has increased in value. As many of these parks are closed and developed they contribute to the problem. A great number of the manufactured homes cannot be moved and their owners are at grave risk of becoming homeless.
Because of the critical shortage of low-cost rental accommodation, landlords are in a position to pick and choose tenants. One phenomenon which has been reported is landlords not only doing credit checks on potential tenants, but criminal record checks as well. Obviously, someone who has been homeless for any length of time has little hope of getting past these obstacles.
“10,500 people are homeless in British Columbia. That’s the population of Williams Lake. If tomorrow the people of Williams Lake had a catastrophe, if there was a flood or a fire and every one of them lost their homes, we as a people, as British Columbians who are caring and decent people, would get together and find homes for those people. We’d build homes for those people. We’d solve their problem. And we’d do it quickly. Today in British Columbia that’s the crisis we have. More people than the population of Williams Lake are homeless today in British Columbia. It’s time for government to take it seriously, to roll up their sleeves and to find a solution for those people.”
- David Chudnovsky
Thursday, July 24, 2008
A Strategic Vision to End Homelessness in BC
This is the second in a series of excerpts from the report on homelessness in BC, "Finding Our Way Home" prepared by David Chudnovsky, Opposition Critic for Homelessness in the Legislature. The complete report can be read at http://www.bcndpcaucus.ca/files/HomelessReport-low.pdf
“I think that we as citizens in a society are all responsible for each other. So as long as there’s homelessness, we are responsible to find a solution. And, the government actually represents us, so please start listening to us. We want solutions, and to be part of the solution.” (Loretta, Nelson Mental Health Clubhouse)
In the United States the slogan “Housing First” has gained traction and in many places informs policy. It is a useful concept, as it implies two fundamental principles. First is the notion that having a home is a right. Second, is the idea that housing needs to be provided immediately, independent of the causes of the homelessness or the health of the homeless person.
Even so, “Housing First” is an inadequate response to the crisis of homelessness in BC as it does not provide the resources needed for success. A more comprehensive strategy is necessary:
HOUSING FIRST + THE SUPPORTS NECESSARY FOR SUCCESS
For many homeless people simply providing a home will solve the problem. For thousands of others a home is necessary but not sufficient. The Simon Fraser study indicates that more than 10,000 homeless people in BC have either a mental health or addiction problem or both. It is these British Columbians, whose health care challenges contribute to their homelessness, who need ongoing supports to be successful.
Senator Michael Kirby’s important work on mental health at the federal level is instructive and persuasive. He is adamant that a “sequential” approach does not work. It doesn’t make sense to say to a homeless person, “Get yourself cleaned up, stop your substance abuse and then we will find you someplace to live.”
Similarly, it is a recipe for failure to house homeless people with mental health and addictions issues and not provide the necessary supports for them immediately when they are housed.
It is often said in explanation of the current crisis that mental health and addiction problems are complicated. That is, of course, the case. But so are cancer and pneumonia complicated. Nevertheless, as a community we provide comprehensive and ongoing care for cancer and pneumonia sufferers.
The situation is dramatically different for those dealing with mental health and addictions challenges. The recent Vancouver Police Department report on mental health problems and their impact on policing clearly indicates a lack of treatment and support which has reached crisis proportions. The problem is not complexity. Rather, it is the stigma and discrimination faced by people with these illnesses. Too often moral and subjective judgments about “personal responsibility” get in the way of a commitment to health care for all.
In this context it is instructive to note Mr. Justice Pitfield’s finding in the recent Insite case.
“While there is nothing to be said in favour of the injection of controlled substances that leads to addiction, there is much to be said against denying addicts health care services that will ameliorate the effects of their condition. Society does that for other substances such as alcohol and tobacco... Management of the harm in those cases is accepted as a community responsibility. I cannot see any rational or logical reason why the approach should be different when dealing with the addiction to narcotics….”
Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside is a unique and important part of the story of homelessness in British Columbia. For decades it has been a mostly successful low income community. When social housing and co-op housing were being funded by the federal and provincial governments many buildings were erected which today form part of a close-knit and dynamic neighbourhood.
This reality is being threatened, on the one hand by rampant speculation, renovation and development of extremely expensive condominiums, and on the other hand – and partially as a result of high-end development – by an explosion of homelessness, addiction and mental health problems.
Future development on the downtown eastside must start with the stabilization of existing low cost housing, the building of needed social housing, and a commitment to the existing neighbourhood, its resilience, history, culture and values.
“I think that we as citizens in a society are all responsible for each other. So as long as there’s homelessness, we are responsible to find a solution. And, the government actually represents us, so please start listening to us. We want solutions, and to be part of the solution.” (Loretta, Nelson Mental Health Clubhouse)
In the United States the slogan “Housing First” has gained traction and in many places informs policy. It is a useful concept, as it implies two fundamental principles. First is the notion that having a home is a right. Second, is the idea that housing needs to be provided immediately, independent of the causes of the homelessness or the health of the homeless person.
Even so, “Housing First” is an inadequate response to the crisis of homelessness in BC as it does not provide the resources needed for success. A more comprehensive strategy is necessary:
HOUSING FIRST + THE SUPPORTS NECESSARY FOR SUCCESS
For many homeless people simply providing a home will solve the problem. For thousands of others a home is necessary but not sufficient. The Simon Fraser study indicates that more than 10,000 homeless people in BC have either a mental health or addiction problem or both. It is these British Columbians, whose health care challenges contribute to their homelessness, who need ongoing supports to be successful.
Senator Michael Kirby’s important work on mental health at the federal level is instructive and persuasive. He is adamant that a “sequential” approach does not work. It doesn’t make sense to say to a homeless person, “Get yourself cleaned up, stop your substance abuse and then we will find you someplace to live.”
Similarly, it is a recipe for failure to house homeless people with mental health and addictions issues and not provide the necessary supports for them immediately when they are housed.
It is often said in explanation of the current crisis that mental health and addiction problems are complicated. That is, of course, the case. But so are cancer and pneumonia complicated. Nevertheless, as a community we provide comprehensive and ongoing care for cancer and pneumonia sufferers.
The situation is dramatically different for those dealing with mental health and addictions challenges. The recent Vancouver Police Department report on mental health problems and their impact on policing clearly indicates a lack of treatment and support which has reached crisis proportions. The problem is not complexity. Rather, it is the stigma and discrimination faced by people with these illnesses. Too often moral and subjective judgments about “personal responsibility” get in the way of a commitment to health care for all.
In this context it is instructive to note Mr. Justice Pitfield’s finding in the recent Insite case.
“While there is nothing to be said in favour of the injection of controlled substances that leads to addiction, there is much to be said against denying addicts health care services that will ameliorate the effects of their condition. Society does that for other substances such as alcohol and tobacco... Management of the harm in those cases is accepted as a community responsibility. I cannot see any rational or logical reason why the approach should be different when dealing with the addiction to narcotics….”
Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside is a unique and important part of the story of homelessness in British Columbia. For decades it has been a mostly successful low income community. When social housing and co-op housing were being funded by the federal and provincial governments many buildings were erected which today form part of a close-knit and dynamic neighbourhood.
This reality is being threatened, on the one hand by rampant speculation, renovation and development of extremely expensive condominiums, and on the other hand – and partially as a result of high-end development – by an explosion of homelessness, addiction and mental health problems.
Future development on the downtown eastside must start with the stabilization of existing low cost housing, the building of needed social housing, and a commitment to the existing neighbourhood, its resilience, history, culture and values.
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Homelessness Report -- First Installment
Today we begin posting excerpts from David Chudnovsky's Homelessness Report -- completed after a tour of 22 communities across BC and extensive discussions with homeless people, service providers and local government officials. The complete report can be found at http://www.bcndpcaucus.ca/files/HomelessReport-low.pdf
Executive Summary
Not since the great depression almost 80 years ago has British Columbia had a homelessness crisis like the one we face today. Between 10,000 and 15,000 people across our province are homeless.
While many think of homelessness as a Lower Mainland problem, it is clear that the crisis faces virtually every town and city across BC. From Cranbrook to Comox, Hazelton to Kitsilano, Abbotsford to Penticton, Surrey to Smithers, Victoria and Vancouver’s downtown eastside – people are living on the streets, couch surfing, surviving temporarily in emergency shelters and transition housing.
In the 1990s the federal government abandoned its traditional role in funding social housing, along with the provinces. Despite this, the British Columbia New Democrat government was one of only two provinces in Canada to maintain a social housing program. This program was one of the first cut by Gordon Campbell’s Liberals when they came to power. Six short years later homelessness is a provincial emergency that needs immediate action.
There are three fundamental reasons to end homelessness in BC. The most important reason to solve the crisis is that it is the right thing to do. People in our province deserve a place to live and we have the resources to make that possible.
Second, homelessness disrupts both the lives of those who have nowhere to live and the stability of our communities. Most British Columbians are ashamed and embarrassed that we face such a crisis. They are rightly uncomfortable when they see people sleeping on the streets or lining up for emergency shelters.
Third, providing homes and support for those who are homeless is significantly cheaper than continuing to do what we have been doing. The Simon Fraser University Report, ‘Housing and Support for Adults with Severe Addictions and/or Mental Illness in British Columbia, prepared with the active participation of several provincial government ministries (including the Housing Policy Branch under Minister Coleman) concludes that $18,000 per year can be saved per person with provision of adequate housing and supports.
Others have made even more dramatic calculations. Tim Richter, President & CEO of the Calgary Homeless Foundation reports that in Calgary at least $323 million was spent in 2007 which equals $134,000 per chronically homeless person per year.
Using the more conservative Simon Fraser calculation (a savings of $18,000 per year per homeless person) and their relatively conservative number of 11,500 homeless people, British Columbia could save more than $1 billion over five years by housing the homeless.
Executive Summary
Not since the great depression almost 80 years ago has British Columbia had a homelessness crisis like the one we face today. Between 10,000 and 15,000 people across our province are homeless.
While many think of homelessness as a Lower Mainland problem, it is clear that the crisis faces virtually every town and city across BC. From Cranbrook to Comox, Hazelton to Kitsilano, Abbotsford to Penticton, Surrey to Smithers, Victoria and Vancouver’s downtown eastside – people are living on the streets, couch surfing, surviving temporarily in emergency shelters and transition housing.
In the 1990s the federal government abandoned its traditional role in funding social housing, along with the provinces. Despite this, the British Columbia New Democrat government was one of only two provinces in Canada to maintain a social housing program. This program was one of the first cut by Gordon Campbell’s Liberals when they came to power. Six short years later homelessness is a provincial emergency that needs immediate action.
There are three fundamental reasons to end homelessness in BC. The most important reason to solve the crisis is that it is the right thing to do. People in our province deserve a place to live and we have the resources to make that possible.
Second, homelessness disrupts both the lives of those who have nowhere to live and the stability of our communities. Most British Columbians are ashamed and embarrassed that we face such a crisis. They are rightly uncomfortable when they see people sleeping on the streets or lining up for emergency shelters.
Third, providing homes and support for those who are homeless is significantly cheaper than continuing to do what we have been doing. The Simon Fraser University Report, ‘Housing and Support for Adults with Severe Addictions and/or Mental Illness in British Columbia, prepared with the active participation of several provincial government ministries (including the Housing Policy Branch under Minister Coleman) concludes that $18,000 per year can be saved per person with provision of adequate housing and supports.
Others have made even more dramatic calculations. Tim Richter, President & CEO of the Calgary Homeless Foundation reports that in Calgary at least $323 million was spent in 2007 which equals $134,000 per chronically homeless person per year.
Using the more conservative Simon Fraser calculation (a savings of $18,000 per year per homeless person) and their relatively conservative number of 11,500 homeless people, British Columbia could save more than $1 billion over five years by housing the homeless.
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Update and Findings: The Way Home
Two important tools for helping to end the homelessness crisis in BC came out of the “Finding Our Way Home” tour.
First is a report on Homelessness written by David Chudnovsky which includes specific recommendations for dealing with the crisis in our province. We will post some excerpts from the report tomorrow. In the meantime you can link to the report in its entirety at http://www.bcndpcaucus.ca/files/HomelessReport-low.pdf.
Second, more than 400 people saw the film “The Way Home” at its world premier in Woodland Park in Vancouver on June 20. Producers Kevin Fitzgerald and Louvens Remy have chronicled the story of homelessness in BC from the point of view of homeless people themselves and the impact of government policy.
David Chudnovsky will be returning to each of the towns and cities visited on the tour starting later this fall to present the movie. We’ll post the dates, times and locations on this blog.
First is a report on Homelessness written by David Chudnovsky which includes specific recommendations for dealing with the crisis in our province. We will post some excerpts from the report tomorrow. In the meantime you can link to the report in its entirety at http://www.bcndpcaucus.ca/files/HomelessReport-low.pdf.
Second, more than 400 people saw the film “The Way Home” at its world premier in Woodland Park in Vancouver on June 20. Producers Kevin Fitzgerald and Louvens Remy have chronicled the story of homelessness in BC from the point of view of homeless people themselves and the impact of government policy.
David Chudnovsky will be returning to each of the towns and cities visited on the tour starting later this fall to present the movie. We’ll post the dates, times and locations on this blog.
Thursday, June 5, 2008
How About a Good News Story for a Change?
When our provincial consultation, "Finding Our Way Home" was in Kelowna in January we met a young man -- we'll call him Phil -- who was doing his best to deal with mental health/addiction issues and homelessness. He was staying at the Willows, a wonderful transition facility with a compassionate and committed staff. Phil was very interested in our work, was interviewed at length by the film makers who were travelling with us and even accompanied us at our meeting with the mayor.
A couple of months later we were in Prince George and bumped into Phil. It was great to see him, even though he didn't look as healthy as he had when we'd first met him. Once again we chatted, and once again he was interviewed for the film.
Then this week we were back in touch with a staff person from the Willows who told us Phil had phoned her after meeting up with us the second time in Prince George. He said that meeting had motivated him to get into detox, that he was now in transition housing and was doing well.
Congratulations to Phil for his strength and perseverance and to all of the wonderful people we met on our travels who face such enormous challenges every day and find a way to survive and flourish.
A couple of months later we were in Prince George and bumped into Phil. It was great to see him, even though he didn't look as healthy as he had when we'd first met him. Once again we chatted, and once again he was interviewed for the film.
Then this week we were back in touch with a staff person from the Willows who told us Phil had phoned her after meeting up with us the second time in Prince George. He said that meeting had motivated him to get into detox, that he was now in transition housing and was doing well.
Congratulations to Phil for his strength and perseverance and to all of the wonderful people we met on our travels who face such enormous challenges every day and find a way to survive and flourish.
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Homelessness Petition to be Submitted to Legislature
Many of you have signed our petition -- which can be found in the column at the right hand side of this page you are reading. Just scroll down a bit and you'll find the link.
If you haven't yet signed, please consider doing so in the next couple of days. During the week of May 26-29 David Chudnovsky will be submitting the petition in the legislature. If you have hard copies of the petition, please get them to David as soon as possible. They can be couriered to Room 201, Parliament Buildings, Victoria BC, V8V 1X4.
Thanks for your support.
If you haven't yet signed, please consider doing so in the next couple of days. During the week of May 26-29 David Chudnovsky will be submitting the petition in the legislature. If you have hard copies of the petition, please get them to David as soon as possible. They can be couriered to Room 201, Parliament Buildings, Victoria BC, V8V 1X4.
Thanks for your support.
Thursday, May 8, 2008
Debate in the Legislature on Homelessness -- May 7
The following are excerpts from the estimates debate in the legislature on May 7, between David Chudnovsky, Opposition Critic for Homelessnes and Rich Coleman, Minister responsible for Homelessness:
D. Chudnovsky: How many homeless people are there in B.C.?
Hon. R. Coleman: It's not a quantifiable number. With our homeless counts that we do in communities in Metro Vancouver, Vancouver, greater Victoria…. It's about 4,500 in the major population of British Columbia. If you extracted those numbers out you might be up to 7,000 to 8,000 people, depending on which count you were taking. [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]
The reality is that there is no quantifiable number that is available. There have been different speculations by different reports without any actually quantified backup either, where the numbers range. So it's not possible to give you a definitive number. [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]
We do know what the count was in Vancouver. We do know what the count was in the Fraser Valley. We do know what the count is in Victoria. If you look at those population bases and you extract it across the population of B.C., you can extract up to a number of maybe 6,000 plus. [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]
D. Chudnovsky: Well, I want to deal first with what the minister has just said. We seem to have housed 2,000 homeless people in the time it took the minister to answer the question. He started by saying to extract the Lower Mainland and Victoria numbers you'd get about 8,000, then he finished by saying 6,000. So — or extrapolate the numbers — you would get 8,000, and then he said 6,000. Which is it? [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]
Hon. R. Coleman: Well, I did say over 6,000. Like I said, the number is not quantifiable.
……………………………………
D. Chudnovsky: The minister says that the number of homeless people in the province is not quantifiable. How does he respond, therefore, to the research done by the Simon Fraser group, which reported in October that, for the groups with severe addictions and mental health problems — just those groups — their work indicates between 8,000 and 15,500 homeless people in British Columbia. [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]
Does the minister discount those figures? Does he think they're wrong? What's his view of those figures? [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]
Hon. R. Coleman: Well, I'll tell you what my view is. They're wrong. Flat out, they're wrong. The official counts that we've done clearly show us that in all the communities across…. In most of the communities we've done it, we add them up, including Metro Vancouver, Victoria, Kamloops, Kelowna, Nanaimo, Smithers, Williams Lake, the Sunshine Coast, Saltspring Island and other areas across the province. The numbers are around 4,899, if that count is actually correct and there wasn't any duplication, which is also hard to quantify. [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]
I know that the member's website has the same numbers at 6,624, so he's out, by what the official count that was done was. He also has a larger number on the Lower Mainland, which is out by almost a thousand with regards to what the official count was. [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]
So I can't say that the Simon Fraser guys are that accurate when they say 8,000 to 15,500 is the number, which they're saying it is. It's a pretty big range. It tells me that they didn't actually do a count. But I know that we've done the count. We continue to do it with our community groups, and we'll continue to do that. What we're doing is trying to respond to the problem. [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]
D. Chudnovsky: Could the minister indicate for us what he thinks is wrong with the Simon Fraser methodology? What is wrong with the methodology of the Simon Fraser study? [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]
Hon. R. Coleman: Clearly, the Simon Fraser study was done on informal interviews. That's pretty much wrong if you're going to put the number to something and try and say: "That's a social problem, and this is the number." I thought that was very weak research, quite frankly, especially when we do counts. [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]
……………………………
D. Chudnovsky: I want to probe a little bit further with the minister, who seems, today at least, to be confident about the counts that have been done by community organizations. The minister would agree with me — would he not? — that in every single case that the community organizations did counts, they indicated that their counts were conservative and that they think, based on their experience, that there are significantly more homeless people than the counts showed. Would the minister agree with me that that is what has happened with every single community count? [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]
Hon. R. Coleman: First of all, I won't agree with the comment that in every single case…. There may have been some people that were doing the count that felt…. They may have had their individual opinions and comments. [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]
We do the count. We do it with volunteers. We do it with the best methodology we have. We try and improve that methodology for the next count, which we will do. Quite frankly, we have to work with the numbers we get, and it's the best measurement we have today out of all the processes we have. [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]
D. Chudnovsky: The minister will know — or I hope he will know — that, for instance, not individuals but the organizers of the Vancouver Metro count, both in their written material and in their presentation, which was made publicly for the media and the public at the time of the announcement of the count, said very, very clearly and warned everyone who was listening that their count was extremely conservative. [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]
Similarly, the minister will know or should know that at the Fraser Valley count announcement, which was done several weeks ago, the organizers of the count — not some individual, not somebody's opinion, the organizers of the count, the very people who he says he has confidence in — said that they are completely convinced, based on their methodology [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]
— and their methodology is based on the work of reputable social scientists, in both cases — that their numbers were a significant undercount and conservative. Is the minister aware of those things? [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]
Hon. R. Coleman: Well, I'm aware that the member opposite is upset because he came up with a phony number, in his mind, and it didn't reflect in the count. It's been bothering him ever since, which is fine. [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]
We will go with the count. We believe that it's the best methodology we have today. If we can improve the methodology in the future, we'll do that. But certainly from the standpoint of whether the number is high or low, it depends on whether it's conservative or not. [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]
Actually, I've talked to different organizations involved in the count, and some thought that there were a number of double counts done in some communities with regards to people who were counted more than once — people that were in a shelter and were also counted on the street. They had concerns about that. [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]
So that's always going to be a challenge with regards to the count. But, quite frankly, the numbers are the numbers we have from the counts, and those are the numbers that we work with. [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]
D. Chudnovsky: I'm, of course, not privileged to be with the minister when he speaks to people from various organizations who tell him what they tell him. I was, though, privileged to be at both the announcement of the Metro count and Fraser Valley count, and I was there to hear the organizers — not individuals, not individual organizations, but the very organizers that the minister, just a few minutes ago, said he had confidence in. I was there to hear them very, very clearly, in both cases, say that their counts were significantly undercounted, and they were conservative. [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]
So the minister can interpret that any way he wants to, but it seems to me that in the first ten minutes of estimates he's unfortunately insulted the researchers at Simon Fraser University and the organizers of the Metro and Fraser Valley counts. That's his privilege, and he gets to do that if he wants. Is it important to know how many homeless people there are in British Columbia? [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]
Hon. R. Coleman: Certainly, it is important to know — have an idea of the numbers, hon. Member, because you build your programs around that. [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]
D. Chudnovsky: So why don't we know? [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]
Hon. R. Coleman: The methodology that's used is used with volunteers. We go out, we fund these things, and we know the numbers as best we can by the methodology we use. [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]
Can we improve the methodology in the future? That's a possibility, and that's what we're looking at now as we go forward. So we try and work with the non-profit sectors, etc. [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]
Quite frankly, we take the count at the face value it is. It comes into the matrix of what we're looking at with regards to housing, and it certainly instructs us with some information that we find we can use as we're trying to build programs. [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]
D. Chudnovsky: Which counts did the ministry fund? [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]
Hon. R. Coleman: We fund different ones from time to time. We also fund the organizations, frankly, who are clients of ours, who actually use their volunteers and their organizations as well. [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]
D. Chudnovsky: How many homeless people are there in B.C.?
Hon. R. Coleman: It's not a quantifiable number. With our homeless counts that we do in communities in Metro Vancouver, Vancouver, greater Victoria…. It's about 4,500 in the major population of British Columbia. If you extracted those numbers out you might be up to 7,000 to 8,000 people, depending on which count you were taking. [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]
The reality is that there is no quantifiable number that is available. There have been different speculations by different reports without any actually quantified backup either, where the numbers range. So it's not possible to give you a definitive number. [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]
We do know what the count was in Vancouver. We do know what the count was in the Fraser Valley. We do know what the count is in Victoria. If you look at those population bases and you extract it across the population of B.C., you can extract up to a number of maybe 6,000 plus. [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]
D. Chudnovsky: Well, I want to deal first with what the minister has just said. We seem to have housed 2,000 homeless people in the time it took the minister to answer the question. He started by saying to extract the Lower Mainland and Victoria numbers you'd get about 8,000, then he finished by saying 6,000. So — or extrapolate the numbers — you would get 8,000, and then he said 6,000. Which is it? [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]
Hon. R. Coleman: Well, I did say over 6,000. Like I said, the number is not quantifiable.
……………………………………
D. Chudnovsky: The minister says that the number of homeless people in the province is not quantifiable. How does he respond, therefore, to the research done by the Simon Fraser group, which reported in October that, for the groups with severe addictions and mental health problems — just those groups — their work indicates between 8,000 and 15,500 homeless people in British Columbia. [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]
Does the minister discount those figures? Does he think they're wrong? What's his view of those figures? [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]
Hon. R. Coleman: Well, I'll tell you what my view is. They're wrong. Flat out, they're wrong. The official counts that we've done clearly show us that in all the communities across…. In most of the communities we've done it, we add them up, including Metro Vancouver, Victoria, Kamloops, Kelowna, Nanaimo, Smithers, Williams Lake, the Sunshine Coast, Saltspring Island and other areas across the province. The numbers are around 4,899, if that count is actually correct and there wasn't any duplication, which is also hard to quantify. [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]
I know that the member's website has the same numbers at 6,624, so he's out, by what the official count that was done was. He also has a larger number on the Lower Mainland, which is out by almost a thousand with regards to what the official count was. [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]
So I can't say that the Simon Fraser guys are that accurate when they say 8,000 to 15,500 is the number, which they're saying it is. It's a pretty big range. It tells me that they didn't actually do a count. But I know that we've done the count. We continue to do it with our community groups, and we'll continue to do that. What we're doing is trying to respond to the problem. [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]
D. Chudnovsky: Could the minister indicate for us what he thinks is wrong with the Simon Fraser methodology? What is wrong with the methodology of the Simon Fraser study? [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]
Hon. R. Coleman: Clearly, the Simon Fraser study was done on informal interviews. That's pretty much wrong if you're going to put the number to something and try and say: "That's a social problem, and this is the number." I thought that was very weak research, quite frankly, especially when we do counts. [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]
……………………………
D. Chudnovsky: I want to probe a little bit further with the minister, who seems, today at least, to be confident about the counts that have been done by community organizations. The minister would agree with me — would he not? — that in every single case that the community organizations did counts, they indicated that their counts were conservative and that they think, based on their experience, that there are significantly more homeless people than the counts showed. Would the minister agree with me that that is what has happened with every single community count? [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]
Hon. R. Coleman: First of all, I won't agree with the comment that in every single case…. There may have been some people that were doing the count that felt…. They may have had their individual opinions and comments. [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]
We do the count. We do it with volunteers. We do it with the best methodology we have. We try and improve that methodology for the next count, which we will do. Quite frankly, we have to work with the numbers we get, and it's the best measurement we have today out of all the processes we have. [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]
D. Chudnovsky: The minister will know — or I hope he will know — that, for instance, not individuals but the organizers of the Vancouver Metro count, both in their written material and in their presentation, which was made publicly for the media and the public at the time of the announcement of the count, said very, very clearly and warned everyone who was listening that their count was extremely conservative. [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]
Similarly, the minister will know or should know that at the Fraser Valley count announcement, which was done several weeks ago, the organizers of the count — not some individual, not somebody's opinion, the organizers of the count, the very people who he says he has confidence in — said that they are completely convinced, based on their methodology [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]
— and their methodology is based on the work of reputable social scientists, in both cases — that their numbers were a significant undercount and conservative. Is the minister aware of those things? [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]
Hon. R. Coleman: Well, I'm aware that the member opposite is upset because he came up with a phony number, in his mind, and it didn't reflect in the count. It's been bothering him ever since, which is fine. [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]
We will go with the count. We believe that it's the best methodology we have today. If we can improve the methodology in the future, we'll do that. But certainly from the standpoint of whether the number is high or low, it depends on whether it's conservative or not. [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]
Actually, I've talked to different organizations involved in the count, and some thought that there were a number of double counts done in some communities with regards to people who were counted more than once — people that were in a shelter and were also counted on the street. They had concerns about that. [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]
So that's always going to be a challenge with regards to the count. But, quite frankly, the numbers are the numbers we have from the counts, and those are the numbers that we work with. [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]
D. Chudnovsky: I'm, of course, not privileged to be with the minister when he speaks to people from various organizations who tell him what they tell him. I was, though, privileged to be at both the announcement of the Metro count and Fraser Valley count, and I was there to hear the organizers — not individuals, not individual organizations, but the very organizers that the minister, just a few minutes ago, said he had confidence in. I was there to hear them very, very clearly, in both cases, say that their counts were significantly undercounted, and they were conservative. [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]
So the minister can interpret that any way he wants to, but it seems to me that in the first ten minutes of estimates he's unfortunately insulted the researchers at Simon Fraser University and the organizers of the Metro and Fraser Valley counts. That's his privilege, and he gets to do that if he wants. Is it important to know how many homeless people there are in British Columbia? [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]
Hon. R. Coleman: Certainly, it is important to know — have an idea of the numbers, hon. Member, because you build your programs around that. [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]
D. Chudnovsky: So why don't we know? [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]
Hon. R. Coleman: The methodology that's used is used with volunteers. We go out, we fund these things, and we know the numbers as best we can by the methodology we use. [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]
Can we improve the methodology in the future? That's a possibility, and that's what we're looking at now as we go forward. So we try and work with the non-profit sectors, etc. [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]
Quite frankly, we take the count at the face value it is. It comes into the matrix of what we're looking at with regards to housing, and it certainly instructs us with some information that we find we can use as we're trying to build programs. [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]
D. Chudnovsky: Which counts did the ministry fund? [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]
Hon. R. Coleman: We fund different ones from time to time. We also fund the organizations, frankly, who are clients of ours, who actually use their volunteers and their organizations as well. [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
David Chudnovsky's Statement in the Legislature on the Provincial Stands for Housing
Each day in the legislature 6 members are permitted to make short, "non-political" speeches on community matters. Below is David Chudnovsky's statement on "Stands for Housing" delivered on Monday, May 5.
HOUSING AND HOMELESSNESS
D. Chudnovsky: On Saturday in communities across the province, British Columbians met on street corners to hold more than 75 Stands for Housing. These non-partisan events were organized and supported by groups and individuals that reflect our province's incredible diversity — the Citywide Housing Coalition; Anglican, United, Unitarian and Lutheran churches; teachers associations; the Carnegie action project; Streams of Justice; the B.C. Federation of Labour and the CLC; the North Shore Shalom Seekers; Renters Voice; Faith in Action; the Vancouver and Victoria Labour Councils; Community Advocates for Little Mountain; and many more.
Perhaps most significantly, the students council at Woodlands Secondary School in Nanaimo sponsored and organized one of the stands.
Most counts put the homeless numbers in B.C. conservatively at more than 10,000. That's about the population of Williams Lake. If tomorrow there were a flood or fire in Williams Lake and everybody lost their homes, we as a province would do something about it and quickly. Because we are decent and caring, British Columbians would make sure that those people had somewhere to live.
That's what we face. We have a population in our province equal to or greater than the population of Williams Lake with nowhere to live. We as legislators have a special responsibility when it comes to homelessness. British Columbians expect that we will do everything in our power to resolve the crisis and quickly.
I ask everyone on both sides of the House, all 79 of us, to commit ourselves to ending homelessness in our province. I thank all of those who took part in the Stands for Housing, who called our attention to the crisis and reminded us of our responsibility to find solutions.
HOUSING AND HOMELESSNESS
D. Chudnovsky: On Saturday in communities across the province, British Columbians met on street corners to hold more than 75 Stands for Housing. These non-partisan events were organized and supported by groups and individuals that reflect our province's incredible diversity — the Citywide Housing Coalition; Anglican, United, Unitarian and Lutheran churches; teachers associations; the Carnegie action project; Streams of Justice; the B.C. Federation of Labour and the CLC; the North Shore Shalom Seekers; Renters Voice; Faith in Action; the Vancouver and Victoria Labour Councils; Community Advocates for Little Mountain; and many more.
Perhaps most significantly, the students council at Woodlands Secondary School in Nanaimo sponsored and organized one of the stands.
Most counts put the homeless numbers in B.C. conservatively at more than 10,000. That's about the population of Williams Lake. If tomorrow there were a flood or fire in Williams Lake and everybody lost their homes, we as a province would do something about it and quickly. Because we are decent and caring, British Columbians would make sure that those people had somewhere to live.
That's what we face. We have a population in our province equal to or greater than the population of Williams Lake with nowhere to live. We as legislators have a special responsibility when it comes to homelessness. British Columbians expect that we will do everything in our power to resolve the crisis and quickly.
I ask everyone on both sides of the House, all 79 of us, to commit ourselves to ending homelessness in our province. I thank all of those who took part in the Stands for Housing, who called our attention to the crisis and reminded us of our responsibility to find solutions.
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
A Great Article in the Vancouver Sun
Vancouver Sun, Page B01, 30-Apr-2008
Housing vigils grow across the province
By Neal Hall
The protests started with a group of neighbours taking a stand about losing their 224-unit Little Mountain social housing complex in Vancouver.
By March of this year, the demonstrations had grown to 15 "stands" on street corners.
Now the stands -- silent vigils to raise awareness of the twin problems of dwindling affordable housing and rising homelessness caused by the city's rocketing real estate prices -- have mushroomed into a movement that is spreading across B.C.
On Saturday, 80 "stands for housing" will be held in dozens of towns and cities across the province, including 40 in Metro Vancouver, 18 on Vancouver Island and 24 in the Interior and the northern region.
A stand consists of a one-hour silent demonstration on a street corner by neighbourhood housing activists on Saturdays, beginning at 1 p.m.
The first stand began last October with angry tenants who were being urged to move from the six-hectare social housing complex at Little Mountain, owned by B.C. Housing, because it was going to be sold and replaced with upscale condominiums.
The tenants began standing in protest each Saturday on the corner of Main and 33rd.
There are only 50 families left in the Little Mountain complex, leaving 170 units sitting empty, said Kia Salomons of Community Advocates for Little Mountain.
"That in itself is a scandal, with thousands of people homeless," she said of the vacant units. "Those homes are completely habitable. It's become a symbol of the problem of affordable housing."
The idea expanded last February as other groups of housing activists took the cause of "homes for all" and began donning identical turquoise-blue scarves and standing with banners on Vancouver street corners every Saturday.
"The big issue is, there isn't enough social housing," said Maggie Geiser, who takes part in a stand in her neighbourhood at Arbutus and King Edward with the Citywide Housing Coalition, one of the organizers. "We usually have a half a dozen to a dozen people on each corner."
Participants hand out flyers demanding politicians work together to reintroduce a national housing program to provide about 2,000 units of affordable rental housing in B.C each year to replace losses caused by redevelopment, speculation and gentrification.
They also want to see provincial welfare rates boosted to meet basic needs. A single person now receives a maximum of $375 a month for rent and $235 for everything else, while the average rent for a bachelor apartment is $735, the housing activists say.
The stands are non-partisan. Some are organized by such church groups as the Social Gospel Coordinating Group from St. James Anglican Church, the St. Andrew's-Wesley United Church Housing and Mental Health Action Group and the Unitarian Church Social Justice Committee, as well as a youth group called Random Acts of Kindness, which does a stand at First and Commercial on Saturdays.
The inspiration behind the stands was the Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo in Argentina, whose children were among the thousands who "disappeared" under that country's military dictatorship in the 1970s and early '80s.
The mothers stood each week in a city square in Buenos Aires as a silent demand for justice. Their white scarves became an international symbol of protest.
Why do local stand participants wear turquoise-blue scarves?
"The fabric was on sale," Ann Truong said, laughing.
"We don't have a formal budget," added the University of B.C. student, who is studying social work and takes part in a stand with members of the Carnegie Community Action Project.
Project members recently surveyed Downtown Eastside residential hotels and concluded that 174 single-occupancy rooms have been closed in the last four months, with another 225 in grave danger of being lost.
nhall@png.canwest.com
Housing vigils grow across the province
By Neal Hall
The protests started with a group of neighbours taking a stand about losing their 224-unit Little Mountain social housing complex in Vancouver.
By March of this year, the demonstrations had grown to 15 "stands" on street corners.
Now the stands -- silent vigils to raise awareness of the twin problems of dwindling affordable housing and rising homelessness caused by the city's rocketing real estate prices -- have mushroomed into a movement that is spreading across B.C.
On Saturday, 80 "stands for housing" will be held in dozens of towns and cities across the province, including 40 in Metro Vancouver, 18 on Vancouver Island and 24 in the Interior and the northern region.
A stand consists of a one-hour silent demonstration on a street corner by neighbourhood housing activists on Saturdays, beginning at 1 p.m.
The first stand began last October with angry tenants who were being urged to move from the six-hectare social housing complex at Little Mountain, owned by B.C. Housing, because it was going to be sold and replaced with upscale condominiums.
The tenants began standing in protest each Saturday on the corner of Main and 33rd.
There are only 50 families left in the Little Mountain complex, leaving 170 units sitting empty, said Kia Salomons of Community Advocates for Little Mountain.
"That in itself is a scandal, with thousands of people homeless," she said of the vacant units. "Those homes are completely habitable. It's become a symbol of the problem of affordable housing."
The idea expanded last February as other groups of housing activists took the cause of "homes for all" and began donning identical turquoise-blue scarves and standing with banners on Vancouver street corners every Saturday.
"The big issue is, there isn't enough social housing," said Maggie Geiser, who takes part in a stand in her neighbourhood at Arbutus and King Edward with the Citywide Housing Coalition, one of the organizers. "We usually have a half a dozen to a dozen people on each corner."
Participants hand out flyers demanding politicians work together to reintroduce a national housing program to provide about 2,000 units of affordable rental housing in B.C each year to replace losses caused by redevelopment, speculation and gentrification.
They also want to see provincial welfare rates boosted to meet basic needs. A single person now receives a maximum of $375 a month for rent and $235 for everything else, while the average rent for a bachelor apartment is $735, the housing activists say.
The stands are non-partisan. Some are organized by such church groups as the Social Gospel Coordinating Group from St. James Anglican Church, the St. Andrew's-Wesley United Church Housing and Mental Health Action Group and the Unitarian Church Social Justice Committee, as well as a youth group called Random Acts of Kindness, which does a stand at First and Commercial on Saturdays.
The inspiration behind the stands was the Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo in Argentina, whose children were among the thousands who "disappeared" under that country's military dictatorship in the 1970s and early '80s.
The mothers stood each week in a city square in Buenos Aires as a silent demand for justice. Their white scarves became an international symbol of protest.
Why do local stand participants wear turquoise-blue scarves?
"The fabric was on sale," Ann Truong said, laughing.
"We don't have a formal budget," added the University of B.C. student, who is studying social work and takes part in a stand with members of the Carnegie Community Action Project.
Project members recently surveyed Downtown Eastside residential hotels and concluded that 174 single-occupancy rooms have been closed in the last four months, with another 225 in grave danger of being lost.
nhall@png.canwest.com
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Finding Our Way Home -- The Consultation Comes to an End
Dear Friends,
After visiting 22 BC commnunities, meeting with more than 120 service providers, not-for-profit groups and local governments, and speaking with hundreds of homeless people, our provincial consultation, "Finding Our Way Home", is complete.
I want to take this opportuntity to thank all of those who gave us their time, who reported to us on the siutation in their communities and who taught us so much about the issue of homelessness.
I especially want to pay tribute to all of our neighbours and friends -- homeless people in our province -- who shared their stories, their insights, their dreams for a better life and their thoughtful suggestions with us. It was a privilege to meet each of you, and I want to pledge to you I will continue to raise the issue of homelessness wherever I go, to "make some noise" about the appalling numbers of people in our province who have nowhere to live.
One outcome of "Finding Our Way Home" will be a report which I will release in the coming weeks. It will include draft legislation and recommendations for changes in policy. The source of that legislation and those recommendations is the wisdom and experience that so many of you shared with me over the past months.
Though the consultation is over, this BLOG will continue. We'll add reports, statistics, articles and opinion pieces. We invite you to respond with your own views.
Thanks for your commitment to ending homelessness in BC.
David Chudnovsky
After visiting 22 BC commnunities, meeting with more than 120 service providers, not-for-profit groups and local governments, and speaking with hundreds of homeless people, our provincial consultation, "Finding Our Way Home", is complete.
I want to take this opportuntity to thank all of those who gave us their time, who reported to us on the siutation in their communities and who taught us so much about the issue of homelessness.
I especially want to pay tribute to all of our neighbours and friends -- homeless people in our province -- who shared their stories, their insights, their dreams for a better life and their thoughtful suggestions with us. It was a privilege to meet each of you, and I want to pledge to you I will continue to raise the issue of homelessness wherever I go, to "make some noise" about the appalling numbers of people in our province who have nowhere to live.
One outcome of "Finding Our Way Home" will be a report which I will release in the coming weeks. It will include draft legislation and recommendations for changes in policy. The source of that legislation and those recommendations is the wisdom and experience that so many of you shared with me over the past months.
Though the consultation is over, this BLOG will continue. We'll add reports, statistics, articles and opinion pieces. We invite you to respond with your own views.
Thanks for your commitment to ending homelessness in BC.
David Chudnovsky
Sunday, April 27, 2008
Lower Mainland - Day Four Vancouver
At Lookout Shelter we met a number of people who came to Vancouver because the services they need aren't available in their home communities. Those with mental health issues are drawn to Vancouver for treatment and support, but when they get here there is nowhere for them to live and they end up in emergency shelters.
We also heard that, increasingly, those who are in transitional housing are staying longer than their allotted time, because there is no more independent housing available for them. Similarly, the stays at emergency shelters have been getting longer and longer for the same reason.
We met with many residents of the Downtown Eastside who are very fearful that their community may be disappearing. With increased condo development, the disappearance of SRO hotels and low cost apartments, the character of the neighbourhood is at risk.
Thanks to all of the kind people who took time to meet with us on this, the last day of Finding Our Way Home.
We also heard that, increasingly, those who are in transitional housing are staying longer than their allotted time, because there is no more independent housing available for them. Similarly, the stays at emergency shelters have been getting longer and longer for the same reason.
We met with many residents of the Downtown Eastside who are very fearful that their community may be disappearing. With increased condo development, the disappearance of SRO hotels and low cost apartments, the character of the neighbourhood is at risk.
Thanks to all of the kind people who took time to meet with us on this, the last day of Finding Our Way Home.
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