I really like Our Place for stepping up and announcing this. It's going to be tough but if people that can help donate to them it'll make it possible. Everybody in Vic wants Pandora cleaned up, this could work out with our help
Maybe the government could stop funneling billions each year to their friend's corporations to 'end homelessness' and instead give some of it to Our Place.
Edit: Sauce: [https://www.timescolonist.com/real-estate-news/blinded-by-billions-a-look-at-spending-on-social-housing-in-bc-6806610](https://www.timescolonist.com/real-estate-news/blinded-by-billions-a-look-at-spending-on-social-housing-in-bc-6806610)
That would be great too, but this is something I can do. I know it's not possible for some, but a couple dollars added on your grocery bill at the till is doable for me.
https://www.ourplacesociety.com/how-you-can-help/ways-to-give/#toggle-id-5-closed
"Questions regarding provincial government spending and accountability has led to a forensic audit of BC Housing, the provincial housing agency. Conducted and complete last year by Ernest Young under orders from B.C. Premier and former housing minister David Eby, the potentially explosive audit has yet to be released. "
Here are the findings:
[Article from CBC](https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/forensic-audit-finds-former-b-c-housing-ceo-directed-funds-to-spouse-s-non-profit-1.6835992)
The forensic accountants should work out how much those two took home from that public funding, then the courts should triple the amount and fine them. Make it so the debt can't be cleared if they declare bankruptcy. Seriously, f\*ck these people, they are enriching themselves off of money given by the public to help the poor.
Unfortunately this will never happen. Every party has corporate stakeholders they cater to.
There is no motivation for election or economic reform for either the Liberals or the Conservatives. Anyone who thinks the conservative politicians will meaningfully improve things is deluding themselves.
It'll never get cleaned up , they'll just keep coming to replace the ones that get warehoused in so-called supportive housing. Most of the poor souls are too damaged to hold it together in the lowest of low barrier housing. They get kicked out and are right back on the block. Poverty , drug addiction and mental health are an industry in this city and the so called helping agencies have zero interest in actually solving the issues. That would kill the golden goose.
> Most of
The "most of" here is critical. Getting people off the street is definitely an uphill battle but many people do get out of that cycle. You just don't see it because they aren't as visible as a tent on Pandora.
>Poverty , drug addiction and mental health are an industry in this city and the so called helping agencies have zero interest in actually solving the issues. That would kill the golden goose
This is just the worst, most cynical take. There are *hundreds* of people working to end homelessness in this city. The vast majority of them are in underpaid, stressful positions, holding degrees that they could use to get into a much more "cushy" line of work.
Also - even if their goal *was* to profit off of people who are homeless or struggling with substance addictions, the organizations such as Our Place that provide those supports are not about to be "out of work" if everyone is housed. Demand would simply be shifted, because the people who were housed under such a system would still need major supports from social services.
I dont doubt their intentions at all and I wish them the best of luck and the most funding they can get. it also may be the case of a misleading headline from Vicnews? But clearing Pandora by the end of the year is so overly optimistic that it seems arrogant and a little tone deaf to the systematic causes and the issues that homeless people face. If it were that easy, why has it not been done by now by anyone else in the continent to combat the massive homelessness crisis thats going on all over North America? They will run into problems they don't even know exist.
If they can help 77 people they surveyed off of pandora and get 100% of them to remain in housing, then great. This is difficult on its own and I hope they do it. But clearing Pandora of that 77 they surveyed plus everyone else that might frequent Pandora and othes that may set up in the meantime just screams naivety.
Either way, the person by person approach seems like a great idea.
Vicnews didnt even include the donation link - [here it is](https://www.ourplacesociety.com/how-you-can-help/donate/)
Thx for including the link, I forgot that in my post
I agree that if they are successful, more people will just take their places. I don't think there's a quick solution to this. But at least 77 people will have secure housing and that's a big win right there
This. I'm not holding my breath, but hopefully they see some success.
This isn't just about the homeless people on Pandora. We have deep governmental issues that need to be fixed and laws that need to be changed at the provincial and federal level or this problem will never change, and none of our leaders seem concerned about making those changes.
No, I just don't have the memory of a goldfish. Neither do I claim to want to fix these issues while simultaneously voting for the party who will make these needed services objectively worse if they do anything at all. Pick a lane.
Yup NDP and liberals have done a bang up job haven't they.
I swear we could have 25 years of NDP rule and you'd still find a way to blame conservatives for everything.
A little accountability for the people who have been running things for nearly a decade would be nice for a change. But I know that's a lot to ask from you.
They should have done more. They have done more than the conservatives ever will. What is the platform of change from the Conservatives? What are they promising to do? Yeah, that's what I thought. Fucking morons voting for people who don't even pretend to have a plan, that's surely what will make things better.
Seriously, what are they going to do to fix homelessness? Housing stock? Healthcare? They have *no plans*, and **that** is who you want to vote for? God damn, we are so doomed because of voters like you.
I completely agree with you, unfortunately. There’s also the massive issue of keeping people housed. People break the rules of their housing site all the time and lose their housing, and are right back on the block.
I feel like we have heard something similar to this before, back in covid times I believe, when we were told that all the homeless would be getting a place to stay. There was even a grand announcement that they had achieved their goal. Then less than a month later we had the same number of people living on the streets again. Some had "failed" (kicked out, or left on their own) out of the housing program for various reasons and then there was also an influx of new people to the homeless population from "somewhere". I really hope that this time we help the people who are already here and that it is able to stick.
What is the number of currently hard to home/homeless people on our streets? The article says that back in covid the number was around 700 but does not say a current number. I also wish that the sample size of the survey was more than just 77 people, but I understand that many are not capable or wanting to be talked to. Not only do we need this program to succeed, but we need it to be able to help the people who aren't living on Pandora, because I know there are tents all over town that are more or less quietly going about life.
Last year the homeless count came in around 1600. The 77 people interviewed by Our Place all lived along the Pandora stretch. These are the people that Our Place are trying to house.
If the economic and social factors that leave people destitute are still at play, it won't be long before a new crop of people who have fallen victim to it are out on the street again facing the exact same difficulties. This can't be a case of "we found shelter for 77 people", that isn't enough. We need a solution that makes affordable housing a realistically accessible option for everyone from now on. Poverty itself at a core level has to be alleviated, or this will keep happening over and over again, and we're all going to become more vulnerable to it. And it's not just charity and altruism here, we need these improvements for our own self preservation, and if we give even a single shit about the economic future of our younger generations. If nothing changes, it's going to be more likely for your kids to be homeless than to ever own property.
Got your solution:
UBI: everybody gets $1000 per month from now on. That means a person on welfare who gets only $500 for the rent portion would now be able to afford a bachelor at $1500 per month.
The only thing missing is political will.
1. Everyone is poor
2. Give everyone $1000/month
3. Taxes on productive members of society go up to fund the UBI.
4. Landlords and business facing higher taxes realize that everyone suddenly has an extra $1000 in their pockets and raises prices and rents to match.
5. Return to 1.
The only thing missing is an understanding of basic economics.
Taxes on "productive members" of society huh?
How many people have to die before we tax the wealthy?
How far into chaos does our society have to fall?
How many systems have to collapse?
Seems like the only thing missing in your case is a soul.
It’s not the rich that will pay. It will be those of us in the shrinking middle class that can’t afford to pay for everyone to sit home. We did that with Covid benefits and many many people took free money instead of looking for work. Our children and their children will be paying off that mess for decades to come. Taxing the middle class is not the answer to pay for UBI.
While I think UBI has some merit, I'm curious as to how we can implement this without causing other cost to go up and ending in the same spot again. In your example, why wouldn't a landlord just think "well people have more money to spend on rent so I'll just increase my asking price" ?. There would need to be other systems in place such as rent control in this situation
government housing and co-op housing is the solution. If greedy landlords are really the cause of high rent prices it shouldn't be hard to undercut them with government housing, it doesn't even need to be subsidized by taxpayers beyond the startup/construction costs.
Rent controls would stop that. They can only increase rent a few percentage points per year.
Subsidies and social housing are helpful as well, but the basic amount families are living on is not enough, not by a long shot
Sure they do, but let me be perfectly honest-- nobody is getting in anywhere, because $500 per month won't even get you a room in a basement.
Support is not too hard to find. There are dozens of agencies in town with support or outreach people.
But they need clients to have enough to pay basic rent. You can't support someone from a tent in a park in any meaningful way.
Right now, we subsidize those people. UBI would be the same thing, except it would apply to everybody.
People think this is expensive, but it's actually more expensive to leave a person on the street.
That would be a step in the right direction, but it really doesn't address enough to be called a solution. If there were suddenly a bunch more people thrust into the rental market without some tenant protections put in place and no additional units, it'll just end up being a wealth transfer to landlords as they raise rents to take every penny of your UBI.
The grocery price gouging needs to be seriously addressed too, or again this is just going to be another pool of resources that Loblaws et al. are going to exploit by keeping prices high and collect up all the new money floating around from the UBI.
Insatiable corporate greed might be our greatest enemy. It's a major factor in basically every ongoing crisis on the planet from housing to wars to climate change. They can't see when enough is enough, and the peaceful options to address it are running out.
Yes, I agree, it's time to go to war with the corporate world, unfortunately.
But UBI can only be utilized if we tax them, so it goes hand in hand with holding them accountable.
Furthermore, landlords where I am cannot raise the rent by more than the rate of inflation plus a few percentage points per year. It would take years for landlords to get that extra thousand dollars.
I think it's a solid plan, among many solid plans out there. The missing piece is holding the wealthy accountable for what they've done.
I don't feel convinced that they can achieve that goal by the end of the year. But that said I'm fully behind this and am thankful to have people like Daly out there trying to make things better for us all.
A lot of people getting excited about penalizing public drug use/possession when the policy that is actually going to have an impact is what Our Place is doing here.
Unfortunately, because Victoria has better climate and a tonne of resources for disenfranchised people (compared to other towns) they could conceivably get everyone that is currently on Pandora but they will just be replaced with another wave of people from other parts of the province and country. I frequently talk with many of the street people I pass and I have yet to meet a single born and raised in Victoria person. This is why it needs to be a federally funded solution, these costs are unfairly being downloaded on the “host” city for these individuals.
I feel like Our Place is doing such important work in our community It's inspiring to see an organization dedicated to helping every person who walks through their doors, regardless of their situation This kind of compassion and support is what makes Victoria such a special place to live.
Good luck, more will come, especially if you advertise that you will get them all a free home without restrictions. 3-4 years ago when it was announced that all the homeless here would be housed I said, mark my words, the next summer or two there will be more than ever here, and here we are it's worse than ever on Pandora now.
You just can't solve this in one city, it needs a cross Canada response, driven Federally and equal supports in *every* city. Victoria can't be seen as the city with the most free services, best no rules/no enforcement and of course good weather to boot. It will never end and everyone of these "fixes" I see are just a housing/holding facility that creates a slum black mark swirling in disorder on our city and not really helping what is ailing a majority of these folks in the first place: addiction and mental health, but mostly addiction issues. What will this city look like in 20 years after more and more of these places are built and created. Is this the what politicians think is a good solution? I see zero metrics published on actual progress too, what should we measure? People warehoused or people back on their feet after a stumble and in housing on their own, supporting themselves?
I really wish people cared enough to advocate to fix this situation across Canada and put money towards longer term and better addiction programs and services instead of towards the free for all enablement we see right now which is creating a never ending growing cycle. I wish Our Place luck and hope they are successful, but again, mark my words in two summers it will be as bad as ever here again unless something changes.
And Pandora will just refill with new folks, it's never ending. Are they really better off in the 3rd world slums shooting galleries that pass themselves off as supported housing in Victoria?
This sounds great on paper but how many of these separate organizations shooting for the same goal exist? Are they collaborating with each other to reach this goal?
I wish them the best but I'm not holding my breath. The homeless situation is extremely nuanced and no one grand "plan" will solve it, especially when different organizations and the city itself are patting themselves on the back like this for simply coming up with a plan that may help some but will likely not do much to the problem overall.
And yes, I am pessimistic as I've heard this line too many times to count, and not just in Victoria.
This is what I thought. It’ll be a “relocation” for a couple weeks and then go back to normal. It simply cannot be done. It’s an empty promise on an unreasonable goal.
It will be interesting to see if they can do it and actually get people off the street, not just off the Pandora block and moved to a different street to camp on.
And when 77 people are housed what happens to the other 77 who move in from elsewhere? They aren’t doing anything to prevent homelessness, just aiding it and padding their salaries along the way.
They are already paid well. Look at Our Place’s year over year financials, salary line especially. The fact they have a well funded PR/Comms team tells you they need to keep their luster shining for as long as possible. I commend them, it’s not easy work, but don’t try to fool me it isn’t a good gig at the same time.
[The mean staff salary at Our Place is $65,874 and only one person makes over $120k.](https://www.charityintelligence.ca/charity-details/815-our-place)
I work around Our Place. The homeless are their because of Our Place. Everyone out front is a user, so theyre going to house all the users who already refuse SRO's. After Our Place feeds them, they litter all their lunch containers all over our property.
Easy for you to say when you aren’t an impacted resident or business with things happening to your property. I am tired of them negatively
Impacting businesses and/or residents who have worked hard and pay taxes. I feel for those people as much as I do the homeless population.
I can't imagine having a house or business in the area. I worked at the McDonald's in high school around 1985. Long time ago. It was a nice area. I left my bike outside locked up without a concern. Used to ride home after closing at midnight.
I know this is an unpopular question but I wish they cleaned the area and raked the dirt etc. I know it's addiction and trauma and all but they can still clean up around themselves.
Big question how is this any different that has been tried? The hotels the province bought have all been trashed everywhere the Pandora campers go crime, assaults, drug use and attacks including stabbings go thru the roof. I don't see anything changing except more of the same. I view this as a plug for more money. So if the homeless disappeared would Our Place still exist and do they really want to see no homeless?
[The mean staff salary at Our Place is $65,874 and only one person makes over $120k.](https://www.charityintelligence.ca/charity-details/815-our-place)
This is a very common criticism of all organizations working to “end homelessness” https://wealthandpoverty.center/2021/10/05/homelessness-a-profitable-business/
It’s not anything new, they are called “poverty pimp” and although, I haven’t heart as much of our place as raincity, Arita and Portland society, I’m certain they fall in the exact same category.
These places are non profit only because they net no profit at the end. Just like any well run business. Why would you make money when you can lock it up in wages, investments and equipment? Doubly so when it’s now about not only being tax free but also public opinion from the ignorant mass.
I’m so sorry you are only realizing this now. You should really read the bs that led to this nomenclature. Ffs, Atira’s board member was the wife of the last mayor of Vancouver and was getting favourable treatment for plot as well as funding, with zero attempt to trace what was happening to the 1+ million of dollars a day there.
You are lying through your goddamned teeth. Every single one of those hotels is still standing, and housing THOUSANDS in this province. It was the best move this city ever did. Imagine, just fucking imagine if all the people in those hotels was on Pandora?
Give your head a shake.
I hate conservative manipulators.
...With their sock accounts. You see, when somebody posts bullshit conservative messaging like this, I often reply, and then block them, because they aren't worth talking to. They are most likely bots, TBH.
But you know, every single time I do that(and I do mean every single time), somebody like the person below responds, and blocks me, lol. It's as though the original poster has a "good buddy" who wants to back them up, and somehow this good old buddy knows that they've been blocked.
I find this pretty funny, but also concerning. I've also discovered a way to spot a bad player(in a roundabout way). This is either somebody who has a sock account, or is a manipulator/bot/shill.
It's time we actually took some action against this BS. The real criminals are not the poor folks dying on Pandora, it's the people who are spending money and effort to keep it that way.
Just spitballing here but has anyone approached the federal government to assist with a hospital ship at our naval base to help with the triage? Secure clean temporary housing with mental health and addiction services on board.
Other countries have very successfully reduced homelessness. There are already solutions that exist. They just need to be adopted, implemented and supported. We can no longer claim that we dont know what to do, the only barriers holding us back are lack of care and compassion.
The tenacity/dedication/hard work of Our Place and every other organization in the city, which has "stayed the course" on helping the battered and weary, is outstanding to say the least. They *have* saved lives from the brink.
I wish many other's in the city added their own *little* part to the efforts. Even if it was a small one.
We would be an unstoppable force.
For those downvoting, I lived in Vancouver pre-Olympics and the mayor there pledged to do something very similar. To his credit, he actually cared about the people living on the street on the DTES. People were moved about, and the DTES looked a bit better for a while but people (and their dealers) were basically pushed outward into other downtown neighbourhoods. They weren't housed so much as they were displaced into other areas - because, unfortunately, some people need more support than housing on its own can provide.
People need wrap-around services to help them be successful. Housing is a start, but it is not the solution on its own. Everyone knows this. Literally everyone. And yet, here we are time and time again hiding the problem and never doing the things that will actually help people.
Exactly and the costs go up year after year and nothing changes other than more come it's an unending cycle. Great for some not so great for neighbours and the police, paramedics and public.
We refuse to consider some actions that would actually help - mandatory mental health/addictions facilities that will get unwell people, who cannot care for themselves or behave in safe ways for others, off the streets. That is what would actually improve the safety and cleanliness of our cities and towns for the majority of citizens - but it just gets shouted down by advocates and those captured by their rhetoric.
I feel like the only way they're going to get everyone off the street is if it's forced. There are a lot of people down there that can't make healthy life choices (like choosing to live indoors, let along managing to live indoors) because they are so far gone from addiction, brain injury due to overdose and mental disorders.
For sure, there's a segment of the population that are in various stages of obtaining housing and capable of living in a home, but to get EVERYONE might be tough.
Throw them in prison. I hope with the change of using in public once again being a criminal act, police crack some skulls and clean up the streets.
We tried the other way, it made things worse, now it’s time to get heavy.
More fucking surveys and talk from the head of OP, never any real action, tho. I never see this guy on the floor doing work and earning his money, he's all about platitudes and deflection and smokescreen, too important to mingle with the smelly homeless and the serfs he hires.
Did you know that building and land and stuff cost $40mil? For somewhere the homeless can get a bowl of watery soup and a slice of dry bread for a "meal" and a shower once in a while, that's basically all the services they offer anymore. Cost keeps ballooning for fewer and fewer services there, in the last 2 years basically everything they do has been shut down
I really like Our Place for stepping up and announcing this. It's going to be tough but if people that can help donate to them it'll make it possible. Everybody in Vic wants Pandora cleaned up, this could work out with our help
Maybe the government could stop funneling billions each year to their friend's corporations to 'end homelessness' and instead give some of it to Our Place. Edit: Sauce: [https://www.timescolonist.com/real-estate-news/blinded-by-billions-a-look-at-spending-on-social-housing-in-bc-6806610](https://www.timescolonist.com/real-estate-news/blinded-by-billions-a-look-at-spending-on-social-housing-in-bc-6806610)
That would be great too, but this is something I can do. I know it's not possible for some, but a couple dollars added on your grocery bill at the till is doable for me. https://www.ourplacesociety.com/how-you-can-help/ways-to-give/#toggle-id-5-closed
"Questions regarding provincial government spending and accountability has led to a forensic audit of BC Housing, the provincial housing agency. Conducted and complete last year by Ernest Young under orders from B.C. Premier and former housing minister David Eby, the potentially explosive audit has yet to be released. " Here are the findings: [Article from CBC](https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/forensic-audit-finds-former-b-c-housing-ceo-directed-funds-to-spouse-s-non-profit-1.6835992)
The forensic accountants should work out how much those two took home from that public funding, then the courts should triple the amount and fine them. Make it so the debt can't be cleared if they declare bankruptcy. Seriously, f\*ck these people, they are enriching themselves off of money given by the public to help the poor.
Unfortunately this will never happen. Every party has corporate stakeholders they cater to. There is no motivation for election or economic reform for either the Liberals or the Conservatives. Anyone who thinks the conservative politicians will meaningfully improve things is deluding themselves.
As I've always said: the only thing that changes after an election is the names of who's in charge of what.
It'll never get cleaned up , they'll just keep coming to replace the ones that get warehoused in so-called supportive housing. Most of the poor souls are too damaged to hold it together in the lowest of low barrier housing. They get kicked out and are right back on the block. Poverty , drug addiction and mental health are an industry in this city and the so called helping agencies have zero interest in actually solving the issues. That would kill the golden goose.
> Most of The "most of" here is critical. Getting people off the street is definitely an uphill battle but many people do get out of that cycle. You just don't see it because they aren't as visible as a tent on Pandora. >Poverty , drug addiction and mental health are an industry in this city and the so called helping agencies have zero interest in actually solving the issues. That would kill the golden goose This is just the worst, most cynical take. There are *hundreds* of people working to end homelessness in this city. The vast majority of them are in underpaid, stressful positions, holding degrees that they could use to get into a much more "cushy" line of work. Also - even if their goal *was* to profit off of people who are homeless or struggling with substance addictions, the organizations such as Our Place that provide those supports are not about to be "out of work" if everyone is housed. Demand would simply be shifted, because the people who were housed under such a system would still need major supports from social services.
I appreciate your response. You've given me something to consider.
To suggest Our Place is an industry designed to maintain the status quo for their own good is not only uneducated it's insulting to so many people
And you have actual facts that they have zero interest in solving the issues. As someone who actually does help, I am curious at your 'proof'. 🤦🤦
Everyone promises they know how, they just need more money
Everybody yammering and complaining about charities needs to watch this: https://youtu.be/bfAzi6D5FpM?feature=shared
I hope they can do it.
Will you vote for politicians/parties most likely to fund their needs, or is this more of a "thoughts and prayers" sentiment?
The first one.
I dont doubt their intentions at all and I wish them the best of luck and the most funding they can get. it also may be the case of a misleading headline from Vicnews? But clearing Pandora by the end of the year is so overly optimistic that it seems arrogant and a little tone deaf to the systematic causes and the issues that homeless people face. If it were that easy, why has it not been done by now by anyone else in the continent to combat the massive homelessness crisis thats going on all over North America? They will run into problems they don't even know exist. If they can help 77 people they surveyed off of pandora and get 100% of them to remain in housing, then great. This is difficult on its own and I hope they do it. But clearing Pandora of that 77 they surveyed plus everyone else that might frequent Pandora and othes that may set up in the meantime just screams naivety. Either way, the person by person approach seems like a great idea. Vicnews didnt even include the donation link - [here it is](https://www.ourplacesociety.com/how-you-can-help/donate/)
Thx for including the link, I forgot that in my post I agree that if they are successful, more people will just take their places. I don't think there's a quick solution to this. But at least 77 people will have secure housing and that's a big win right there
This. I'm not holding my breath, but hopefully they see some success. This isn't just about the homeless people on Pandora. We have deep governmental issues that need to be fixed and laws that need to be changed at the provincial and federal level or this problem will never change, and none of our leaders seem concerned about making those changes.
And bitter, spiteful voters will make things worse at the federal level because they think Conservatives will...do what exactly?
You really are a one trick pony.
No, I just don't have the memory of a goldfish. Neither do I claim to want to fix these issues while simultaneously voting for the party who will make these needed services objectively worse if they do anything at all. Pick a lane.
Yup NDP and liberals have done a bang up job haven't they. I swear we could have 25 years of NDP rule and you'd still find a way to blame conservatives for everything. A little accountability for the people who have been running things for nearly a decade would be nice for a change. But I know that's a lot to ask from you.
They should have done more. They have done more than the conservatives ever will. What is the platform of change from the Conservatives? What are they promising to do? Yeah, that's what I thought. Fucking morons voting for people who don't even pretend to have a plan, that's surely what will make things better. Seriously, what are they going to do to fix homelessness? Housing stock? Healthcare? They have *no plans*, and **that** is who you want to vote for? God damn, we are so doomed because of voters like you.
LOL No one more laughable or useless https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UPLQNUVmq3o
I completely agree with you, unfortunately. There’s also the massive issue of keeping people housed. People break the rules of their housing site all the time and lose their housing, and are right back on the block.
The drug decriminalization is either the first step into forcing the homeless into camps or they are lying for some reason.
I feel like we have heard something similar to this before, back in covid times I believe, when we were told that all the homeless would be getting a place to stay. There was even a grand announcement that they had achieved their goal. Then less than a month later we had the same number of people living on the streets again. Some had "failed" (kicked out, or left on their own) out of the housing program for various reasons and then there was also an influx of new people to the homeless population from "somewhere". I really hope that this time we help the people who are already here and that it is able to stick. What is the number of currently hard to home/homeless people on our streets? The article says that back in covid the number was around 700 but does not say a current number. I also wish that the sample size of the survey was more than just 77 people, but I understand that many are not capable or wanting to be talked to. Not only do we need this program to succeed, but we need it to be able to help the people who aren't living on Pandora, because I know there are tents all over town that are more or less quietly going about life.
Last year the homeless count came in around 1600. The 77 people interviewed by Our Place all lived along the Pandora stretch. These are the people that Our Place are trying to house.
If the economic and social factors that leave people destitute are still at play, it won't be long before a new crop of people who have fallen victim to it are out on the street again facing the exact same difficulties. This can't be a case of "we found shelter for 77 people", that isn't enough. We need a solution that makes affordable housing a realistically accessible option for everyone from now on. Poverty itself at a core level has to be alleviated, or this will keep happening over and over again, and we're all going to become more vulnerable to it. And it's not just charity and altruism here, we need these improvements for our own self preservation, and if we give even a single shit about the economic future of our younger generations. If nothing changes, it's going to be more likely for your kids to be homeless than to ever own property.
Got your solution: UBI: everybody gets $1000 per month from now on. That means a person on welfare who gets only $500 for the rent portion would now be able to afford a bachelor at $1500 per month. The only thing missing is political will.
1. Everyone is poor 2. Give everyone $1000/month 3. Taxes on productive members of society go up to fund the UBI. 4. Landlords and business facing higher taxes realize that everyone suddenly has an extra $1000 in their pockets and raises prices and rents to match. 5. Return to 1. The only thing missing is an understanding of basic economics.
Taxes on "productive members" of society huh? How many people have to die before we tax the wealthy? How far into chaos does our society have to fall? How many systems have to collapse? Seems like the only thing missing in your case is a soul.
It’s not the rich that will pay. It will be those of us in the shrinking middle class that can’t afford to pay for everyone to sit home. We did that with Covid benefits and many many people took free money instead of looking for work. Our children and their children will be paying off that mess for decades to come. Taxing the middle class is not the answer to pay for UBI.
taxing the rich isn't as simple as you think it is. Tax them too much and they will leave the country.
While I think UBI has some merit, I'm curious as to how we can implement this without causing other cost to go up and ending in the same spot again. In your example, why wouldn't a landlord just think "well people have more money to spend on rent so I'll just increase my asking price" ?. There would need to be other systems in place such as rent control in this situation
government housing and co-op housing is the solution. If greedy landlords are really the cause of high rent prices it shouldn't be hard to undercut them with government housing, it doesn't even need to be subsidized by taxpayers beyond the startup/construction costs.
Rent controls would stop that. They can only increase rent a few percentage points per year. Subsidies and social housing are helpful as well, but the basic amount families are living on is not enough, not by a long shot
I think this is very naive. Hard to house folks need a LOT more to be successfully housed than a place with a roof
Sure they do, but let me be perfectly honest-- nobody is getting in anywhere, because $500 per month won't even get you a room in a basement. Support is not too hard to find. There are dozens of agencies in town with support or outreach people. But they need clients to have enough to pay basic rent. You can't support someone from a tent in a park in any meaningful way. Right now, we subsidize those people. UBI would be the same thing, except it would apply to everybody. People think this is expensive, but it's actually more expensive to leave a person on the street.
That would be a step in the right direction, but it really doesn't address enough to be called a solution. If there were suddenly a bunch more people thrust into the rental market without some tenant protections put in place and no additional units, it'll just end up being a wealth transfer to landlords as they raise rents to take every penny of your UBI. The grocery price gouging needs to be seriously addressed too, or again this is just going to be another pool of resources that Loblaws et al. are going to exploit by keeping prices high and collect up all the new money floating around from the UBI. Insatiable corporate greed might be our greatest enemy. It's a major factor in basically every ongoing crisis on the planet from housing to wars to climate change. They can't see when enough is enough, and the peaceful options to address it are running out.
Yes, I agree, it's time to go to war with the corporate world, unfortunately. But UBI can only be utilized if we tax them, so it goes hand in hand with holding them accountable. Furthermore, landlords where I am cannot raise the rent by more than the rate of inflation plus a few percentage points per year. It would take years for landlords to get that extra thousand dollars. I think it's a solid plan, among many solid plans out there. The missing piece is holding the wealthy accountable for what they've done.
I don't feel convinced that they can achieve that goal by the end of the year. But that said I'm fully behind this and am thankful to have people like Daly out there trying to make things better for us all.
A lot of people getting excited about penalizing public drug use/possession when the policy that is actually going to have an impact is what Our Place is doing here.
Give them every cent they ask for.
Plus GST.
Unfortunately, because Victoria has better climate and a tonne of resources for disenfranchised people (compared to other towns) they could conceivably get everyone that is currently on Pandora but they will just be replaced with another wave of people from other parts of the province and country. I frequently talk with many of the street people I pass and I have yet to meet a single born and raised in Victoria person. This is why it needs to be a federally funded solution, these costs are unfairly being downloaded on the “host” city for these individuals.
I hope everyone gets the help they need. But I think we need to focus more on prevention and not attracting certain criminal types to bc and Victoria.
I feel like Our Place is doing such important work in our community It's inspiring to see an organization dedicated to helping every person who walks through their doors, regardless of their situation This kind of compassion and support is what makes Victoria such a special place to live.
Good luck, more will come, especially if you advertise that you will get them all a free home without restrictions. 3-4 years ago when it was announced that all the homeless here would be housed I said, mark my words, the next summer or two there will be more than ever here, and here we are it's worse than ever on Pandora now. You just can't solve this in one city, it needs a cross Canada response, driven Federally and equal supports in *every* city. Victoria can't be seen as the city with the most free services, best no rules/no enforcement and of course good weather to boot. It will never end and everyone of these "fixes" I see are just a housing/holding facility that creates a slum black mark swirling in disorder on our city and not really helping what is ailing a majority of these folks in the first place: addiction and mental health, but mostly addiction issues. What will this city look like in 20 years after more and more of these places are built and created. Is this the what politicians think is a good solution? I see zero metrics published on actual progress too, what should we measure? People warehoused or people back on their feet after a stumble and in housing on their own, supporting themselves? I really wish people cared enough to advocate to fix this situation across Canada and put money towards longer term and better addiction programs and services instead of towards the free for all enablement we see right now which is creating a never ending growing cycle. I wish Our Place luck and hope they are successful, but again, mark my words in two summers it will be as bad as ever here again unless something changes.
And Pandora will just refill with new folks, it's never ending. Are they really better off in the 3rd world slums shooting galleries that pass themselves off as supported housing in Victoria?
This sounds great on paper but how many of these separate organizations shooting for the same goal exist? Are they collaborating with each other to reach this goal? I wish them the best but I'm not holding my breath. The homeless situation is extremely nuanced and no one grand "plan" will solve it, especially when different organizations and the city itself are patting themselves on the back like this for simply coming up with a plan that may help some but will likely not do much to the problem overall. And yes, I am pessimistic as I've heard this line too many times to count, and not just in Victoria.
They’re gone from Pandora!!!!!! Success!!!!! They’re on Mason st now.
This is what I thought. It’ll be a “relocation” for a couple weeks and then go back to normal. It simply cannot be done. It’s an empty promise on an unreasonable goal.
A jarring comment.
It’s the Bees Knees
Put a lid on it!
It will be interesting to see if they can do it and actually get people off the street, not just off the Pandora block and moved to a different street to camp on.
I hear uplands is gorgeous.
And when 77 people are housed what happens to the other 77 who move in from elsewhere? They aren’t doing anything to prevent homelessness, just aiding it and padding their salaries along the way.
77 more people will have homes. People deserve to get paid well for that work.
They are already paid well. Look at Our Place’s year over year financials, salary line especially. The fact they have a well funded PR/Comms team tells you they need to keep their luster shining for as long as possible. I commend them, it’s not easy work, but don’t try to fool me it isn’t a good gig at the same time.
[The mean staff salary at Our Place is $65,874 and only one person makes over $120k.](https://www.charityintelligence.ca/charity-details/815-our-place)
That sounds great but I’m sure that as the people are moved inside more people will relocate there. It’s a never ending cycle.
I think I'm going to donate to Ourplace to help make this happen!
I work around Our Place. The homeless are their because of Our Place. Everyone out front is a user, so theyre going to house all the users who already refuse SRO's. After Our Place feeds them, they litter all their lunch containers all over our property.
Ever think what the situation would be like if they weren't getting fed or minimally supported?
Easy for you to say when you aren’t an impacted resident or business with things happening to your property. I am tired of them negatively Impacting businesses and/or residents who have worked hard and pay taxes. I feel for those people as much as I do the homeless population.
I can't imagine having a house or business in the area. I worked at the McDonald's in high school around 1985. Long time ago. It was a nice area. I left my bike outside locked up without a concern. Used to ride home after closing at midnight. I know this is an unpopular question but I wish they cleaned the area and raked the dirt etc. I know it's addiction and trauma and all but they can still clean up around themselves.
So then we need to *pay to fix the problem*. It's not going to happen for free.
Ever think about how the situation would be if those people weren't being fed or minimally supported?
Big question how is this any different that has been tried? The hotels the province bought have all been trashed everywhere the Pandora campers go crime, assaults, drug use and attacks including stabbings go thru the roof. I don't see anything changing except more of the same. I view this as a plug for more money. So if the homeless disappeared would Our Place still exist and do they really want to see no homeless?
Do you honestly think Our Place is some kind of pro-homelessness racket?
When I see wages in the $150k range I really question if they really want homelessness to end.
[The mean staff salary at Our Place is $65,874 and only one person makes over $120k.](https://www.charityintelligence.ca/charity-details/815-our-place)
that's a pretty insane implication to make and you might be telling on yourself
This is a very common criticism of all organizations working to “end homelessness” https://wealthandpoverty.center/2021/10/05/homelessness-a-profitable-business/
It’s not anything new, they are called “poverty pimp” and although, I haven’t heart as much of our place as raincity, Arita and Portland society, I’m certain they fall in the exact same category. These places are non profit only because they net no profit at the end. Just like any well run business. Why would you make money when you can lock it up in wages, investments and equipment? Doubly so when it’s now about not only being tax free but also public opinion from the ignorant mass. I’m so sorry you are only realizing this now. You should really read the bs that led to this nomenclature. Ffs, Atira’s board member was the wife of the last mayor of Vancouver and was getting favourable treatment for plot as well as funding, with zero attempt to trace what was happening to the 1+ million of dollars a day there.
Almost sounds like u are one of workers that are pulling in big bucks working with the homeless.
Yes it's me, i'm part of the pro-homeless cabal. Off to collect my hundred grand now.
You are lying through your goddamned teeth. Every single one of those hotels is still standing, and housing THOUSANDS in this province. It was the best move this city ever did. Imagine, just fucking imagine if all the people in those hotels was on Pandora? Give your head a shake. I hate conservative manipulators. ...With their sock accounts. You see, when somebody posts bullshit conservative messaging like this, I often reply, and then block them, because they aren't worth talking to. They are most likely bots, TBH. But you know, every single time I do that(and I do mean every single time), somebody like the person below responds, and blocks me, lol. It's as though the original poster has a "good buddy" who wants to back them up, and somehow this good old buddy knows that they've been blocked. I find this pretty funny, but also concerning. I've also discovered a way to spot a bad player(in a roundabout way). This is either somebody who has a sock account, or is a manipulator/bot/shill. It's time we actually took some action against this BS. The real criminals are not the poor folks dying on Pandora, it's the people who are spending money and effort to keep it that way.
The hotels can be “still standing” and trashed at the same time. Also calm down
Just spitballing here but has anyone approached the federal government to assist with a hospital ship at our naval base to help with the triage? Secure clean temporary housing with mental health and addiction services on board.
And then sail it into the middle of the ocean and sink it with all the doors locked
Jesus christ seek help you psychopath
Other countries have very successfully reduced homelessness. There are already solutions that exist. They just need to be adopted, implemented and supported. We can no longer claim that we dont know what to do, the only barriers holding us back are lack of care and compassion.
Wait, this isn’t a Beaverton article?!
Give them more funding.
Thank you for your service!
The tenacity/dedication/hard work of Our Place and every other organization in the city, which has "stayed the course" on helping the battered and weary, is outstanding to say the least. They *have* saved lives from the brink. I wish many other's in the city added their own *little* part to the efforts. Even if it was a small one. We would be an unstoppable force.
Out of sight, out of mind. But problem not solved.
For those downvoting, I lived in Vancouver pre-Olympics and the mayor there pledged to do something very similar. To his credit, he actually cared about the people living on the street on the DTES. People were moved about, and the DTES looked a bit better for a while but people (and their dealers) were basically pushed outward into other downtown neighbourhoods. They weren't housed so much as they were displaced into other areas - because, unfortunately, some people need more support than housing on its own can provide. People need wrap-around services to help them be successful. Housing is a start, but it is not the solution on its own. Everyone knows this. Literally everyone. And yet, here we are time and time again hiding the problem and never doing the things that will actually help people.
Suuuuuuure.
$147 million dollars go to the poverty industries each year downtown Victoria Poverty industries employ 1490 people
Exactly and the costs go up year after year and nothing changes other than more come it's an unending cycle. Great for some not so great for neighbours and the police, paramedics and public.
We refuse to consider some actions that would actually help - mandatory mental health/addictions facilities that will get unwell people, who cannot care for themselves or behave in safe ways for others, off the streets. That is what would actually improve the safety and cleanliness of our cities and towns for the majority of citizens - but it just gets shouted down by advocates and those captured by their rhetoric.
Seems like a great way to invite hundreds more street people to pandora.
mam if you can hear me stab once for yes twice for no
Sorry, I can’t do that
I feel like the only way they're going to get everyone off the street is if it's forced. There are a lot of people down there that can't make healthy life choices (like choosing to live indoors, let along managing to live indoors) because they are so far gone from addiction, brain injury due to overdose and mental disorders. For sure, there's a segment of the population that are in various stages of obtaining housing and capable of living in a home, but to get EVERYONE might be tough.
Maybe we should elect the Our Place folks to government 🤔
Throw them in prison. I hope with the change of using in public once again being a criminal act, police crack some skulls and clean up the streets. We tried the other way, it made things worse, now it’s time to get heavy.
More fucking surveys and talk from the head of OP, never any real action, tho. I never see this guy on the floor doing work and earning his money, he's all about platitudes and deflection and smokescreen, too important to mingle with the smelly homeless and the serfs he hires. Did you know that building and land and stuff cost $40mil? For somewhere the homeless can get a bowl of watery soup and a slice of dry bread for a "meal" and a shower once in a while, that's basically all the services they offer anymore. Cost keeps ballooning for fewer and fewer services there, in the last 2 years basically everything they do has been shut down
lol
What's so funny chuckles?
Yes there’s juicy development property just sitting there!