People camping on the lawn of the Victoria courthouse have been given notice by the provincial government that they must leave by Feb. 25.
The government delivered the notice Friday morning, telling about 120 campers they have to leave due to safety concerns.
At the same time, B.C. Housing Minister Rich Coleman announced the government will create 88 shelter and transitional housing units for the campers.
The provincial government will create 38 units of transitional housing at the Mount Edwards Court Care Home on Vancouver Street which it has purchased from the Baptist Housing Society for $3.65 million.
The units will be operated by the Victoria Cool Aid Society and will rent for $375 a month. They are expected to be open by Feb. 23 and be available for about one year. Island Health will provide clinical support services at the former care home.
B.C. Housing will pay 40 rent supplements to help people afford the housing, Coleman said.
Coleman also announced creation of a 50-bed shelter at the Victoria Youth Custody Centre in View Royal.
The shelter will be operated by Our Place Society. People will have the option of camping in an outdoor courtyard, which has room for 20 tents. The new shelter, which will be called Choices Transitional Home, will be open until the end of August.
“Both facilities will offer meals and supports from the Cool Aid and Our Place societies and both have a record of doing the job well,” said Coleman, who promised to continue public consultation.
“I’ve said from the beginning I wanted to find a solution for people who live in that camp, who are legitimately homeless, to have some place to go,” Coleman said.
“Washrooms, showers, meals and heat is important to stabilize that population.”
Campers can choose which facility they want, vacate the courthouse lawn, and bring better health back to their lives, Coleman said. He said he would make a decision on how to proceed after seeing who is left in the camp Feb. 23 to 25.
If you give people with legitimate housing needs a safe place to go, with meals and medical supports, it usually diffuses the issue, Coleman said. He said he has handled a number of issues like this over the years and not every one turned into a police issue.
“I think people in Victoria should be happy today because we’re trying to solve a problem for a vulnerable population, who legitimately do need supports to turn their lives around. And those folks are the folks we hope will come inside. And we hope the other folks will move on because they’re not there for the right reason,” Coleman said.
Don Evans, executive director at Our Place, said it was emotional at the tent city Friday. “People were upset, which was understandable. They’ve been there for quite a while. Nobody wanted to move. What they want is a piece of land they can build their own housing on. That was not presented,” he said.
“Change is really hard for people and they’ve built this real connection on the site. These were people who were in doorways and parks and not connected to much. So to come together and have this connection has been an amazing feeling for them.”
The government notice says the encampment poses an ongoing, unacceptable risk to public safety.
“You see a combination of heaters and wooden structures without any control for fires,” Coleman said. “There’s also the issue of washrooms and all these things compound.”
Evans confirmed there was a tent fire a few nights ago. Victoria police have responded to two stabbings and drug overdoses.
Coleman said he has noticed a significant increase in the number of people coming to B.C. who want shelters, perhaps due to the slumping economy in Alberta.
View Royal Mayor David Screech said the homelessness is a regional problem and all jurisdictions must be part of the solution.
“With that philosophy, we are prepared to support Victoria and B.C. Housing’s initiative to use the youth custody centre as a facility for the homeless on a temporary basis. Victoria and B.C. Housing have shown great leadership in bringing forward these solutions,” Screech said in a statement.
An information session for the community will be held at 7 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 15, at the Victoria Youth Custody Centre, 94 Talcott Rd., View Royal.
Don McTavish of the Victoria Cool Aid Society said he is excited to have the opportunity to house and support 40 people who are homeless.
“We appreciate the support of the province and look forward to working with the new residents, cathedral school and neighbours to ensure this housing program integrates successfully into the neighbourhood,” McTavish said. Mount Edwards is across the street from Christ Church Cathedral School.
Coleman estimated it will cost about $400,000 to operate the 50-bed shelter at the youth jail and $1.29 million for the 38 units at Mount Edwards.
“People have been on the phone asking us to do something about this camp. There is always concern when something happens in the neighbourhood. But certainly the job here is to give these folks the ability to stabilize their lives because they are human beings,” Coleman said.
