Mayor confident about eliminating homelessness by 2015
Posted March 12, 2014 11:04 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – The annual homeless count is underway, and Vancouver’s mayor says he’s confident street homelessness can be eliminated by 2015 — a goal he set years ago.
Finding people permanent housing is another issue.
Last year 273 people were counted on the streets of Vancouver, but Gregor Robertson says he counted none on his morning tour of the West End.
Roberston says he is sure everyone can get off the street.
“We have a real shot at it. There is no question the shelters are still full, we are opening a lot of permanent housing with BC Housing.”
Robertson expects that to reduce, by hundreds, the number of people living in shelters, in cars, or ‘couch surfing.’
But what’s alarming, says Susan Tatoosh with the Aboriginal Friendship Society, is the number of seniors — largely Asian and women, showing up at shelters.
“Once they get to a position of not being able to afford their rentals they’re in at the moment.”
The homeless count goes until midnight.
