Vancouver mayor introduces emergency options to house homeless

VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) — Vancouver council will host a special meeting Friday and vote on potential emergency housing options to help care for the homeless during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Mayor Kennedy Stewart outlined a motion Tuesday with three options aimed at providing emergency relief, involving all levels of government and other agencies.

The options include leasing or purchasing housing units, including hotels, single-room occupancy residences, and other available housing stock.

Another is to establish a temporary emergency relief encampment on vacant public or private land.

The third is to temporarily convert city-owned buildings into emergency housing or shelter space.

We are at a tipping point when it comes to supporting vulnerable neighbours, not just in Strathcona, but city-wide.

With warm weather soon to be behind us, but a vaccine still on the horizon, I’m worried about the return of #COVID19 and keeping people safe.#vanpoli

— Kennedy Stewart (@kennedystewart) September 8, 2020

Preliminary figures from the 2020 regional homeless count show 547 people living unsheltered in Vancouver, including 300 at the encampment in Strathcona Park.

“It’s clear that we are approaching a tipping point, not just in Strathcona, but in terms of how we support all of our marginalized neighbours,” Stewart says in a release.

“I’ve spent the summer months talking to community members, business owners, advocates, and health care experts, and it’s clear to me that once the summer is behind us, we will be in a dangerous place between the start of wet and cold weather and a vaccine yet to be available.”

Stewart adds the motion will ask staff to investigate the feasibility and costs of all three options.

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“This special meeting is an opportunity for us to work as a whole council, as this is an issue I know all members are concerned about and wrestling with. Everyone recognizes that we’ve worked too hard on housing, on overdoses, on COVID as a whole city to just watch people become sick again, or watch people permanently become homeless,” he says.

“We need to quickly determine what the best course of action is, and then work with our partners in senior government to rapidly deploy supportive services, including overdose prevention, access to safer supply, COVID-19 testing, as well as culturally-appropriate services with an emphasis on Indigenous traditions of healing and wellness.”

Dan Jackson, with the Strathcona Residents Association, said action should have been taken sooner.

.@kennedystewart has announced a Special Council Meeting for Sept. 11 to vote on his motion outlining options re: emergency #COVID19 relief for those w/o homes.

— Ria Renouf (@riarenouf) September 8, 2020

“Here we’ve got the largest homeless camp in Canada and we need to start coming up with a plan for what to do in September and October, not next summer, ” he said

“So really the only one that seems to be viable in the short-term is the idea for a temporary emergency, relief encampment.”

Jackson is also calling on senior levels of government, specifically the province, to do more.

We’ve worked too hard as a city on housing, overdoses, & COVID to just wait for people to become sick again, or watch folks permanently become homeless.

We need to quickly determine the best course of action & then work with our senior gov’t partners to make it happen.#vanpoli

— Kennedy Stewart (@kennedystewart) September 8, 2020

Stewart says no matter what is decided, efforts to help those in need require compassion and generosity.

“What makes me hopeful is that in all of the conversations I’ve had about the right way forward, almost everyone has been taking the compassionate route. It’s why I love and believe in this city,” he says.

According to the motion, many homeless people have underlying health issues, such as mental illness and addiction. A disproportionately high number are also Indigenous people, while the pandemic and related safety measures have left many marginalized people in precarious living conditions.

“The recent spike in COVID-19 cases, a toxic illicit drug supply escalating overdoses, and the coming colder weather require urgent action to provide unsheltered residents safer short- and long-term shelter options and improved access to sanitation, health, and social services,” says the motion.

B.C. set a record for overdose deaths in June.

The motion also calls for city staff to expedite the necessary planning approval of the 450 modular housing units recently and jointly announced with the province, as well as the newly announced navigation centre.

Stewart also asked for federal and provincial funding to cover all the costs associated with implementing any of the motions.