Katie Koncan and Amanda Burrows: Town is extra involved with hiding homelessness relatively than fixing it

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Simply earlier than Vancouver was predicted to expertise a chilly snap, with temperatures dropping to minus-11 levels, Vancouver Park Rangers and Vancouver Police Division officers descended on residents of Oppenheimer Park. They took private belongings, together with the one shelter residents had — their tents — and advised them to maneuver alongside. They will’t keep right here, they have been advised.

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With shelters usually at capability (and inquiries to the group sources cellphone line 211 verify Oppenheimer residents couldn’t be accommodated in shelters), the place have been folks imagined to go?

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The eviction started on Jan. 9 and continued the next day. On Jan. 10, residents have been advised that they needed to pack down their tents, however might keep within the park. There weren’t any outreach employees or social employees current to assist assist residents or the method

Does any of this look like it’s in good religion? Does any of this look like it would truly assist?

Town has an obsession with enforcement for enforcement’s sake. When did we as a metropolis and society come to simply accept the weaponizing of bylaw enforcement as extra vital than literal survival? When there aren’t any extra shelter beds and objects like tents and sleeping baggage are taken and trashed, how does the town anticipate folks to outlive? How do they suppose this helps or solves homelessness? This behaviour frankly leads us to imagine that they’re extra preoccupied with hiding homelessness than fixing it.

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Encampments are a extremely contentious concern. In late 2023 we noticed sturdy opposition from all sides when the B.C. authorities tabled new laws, Invoice 45, for municipalities to implement bylaws round encampments. Municipalities thought it too imprecise and troublesome to evict residents of encampments; advocates criticized the disregard for human rights.

We’re in full assist of encampments when shelter alternate options aren’t obtainable: They supply group, entry to companies, and scale back danger of loss of life by overdose. Dismantling an encampment doesn’t abruptly imply that residents turn into housed. It means residents are nonetheless compelled to shelter open air, however they’re alone and their well being and lives are at far greater danger.

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Let’s be clear: Encampments are usually not an answer to homelessness. Sheltering open air in a skinny tent in moist circumstances and sub-zero temperatures will not be what we’re calling for as an answer. Encampments present one of the best safety when people have nowhere else to go, however they don’t seem to be an finish objective. We want everlasting, inexpensive, and secure housing.

Till there’s an ample provide of inexpensive housing that meets the wants of all our neighbours, we implore the town to cease bullying unhoused folks out of the one secure areas they’ve.

The few hours we spent exterior whereas witnessing the Park Ranger and VPD’s actions on Jan. 10 left us frigid — even with thick coats, gloves and boots on. The chilly bit by each layer and we needed to hold shifting to attempt to preserve some stage of heat. It’s about to get an entire lot colder, and lots of people are abruptly with out tents, blankets, and sleeping baggage.

We ask once more: How does hiding homelessness assist?

Katie Koncan is director of improvement and communications and Amanda Burrows is executive-director at First United Church.

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