Homelessness in Vancouver

Vancouver has a significant homelessness problem

On any given night, at least 1,600 people in the city don’t have homes and many more are at risk of becoming homeless. The City and its partners have identified a need for at least 3,700 units of supportive housing (affordable housing with support services) in our city.

Homeless Action Plan PDF (376 KB)

The City is committed to long-term solutions

Currently, the City and the Province are developing over 1,500 units of supportive housing on 14 City-owned Vancouver sites. These projects will take another two to five years to complete. In the meantime, there is still a gap. We need to have options for those who remain on the streets today.

Interim Housing Strategy bridges the gap between immediate needs and long-term solutions

The City wants to move people from the street into shelter, and from shelter into interim and finally permanent supportive housing. This strategy requires funding for shelters, including HEAT shelters and new interim housing solutions (including leasing hotels, converting government-owned buildings and exploring the use of quick-build modular housing).

Moving people from temporary shelters to interim housing to permanent supportive housing is the strategy to address homelessness.

Shelter

Interim Housing (pdf)

Permanent Supportive Housing

HEAT (Homeless Emergency Action Team)

HEAT shelters bring people inside

Mayor Gregor Robertson launched the Homeless Emergency Action Team (HEAT) initiative in December 2008. Working in partnership with funding from the Provincial government, through BC Housing and with the private sector through the Streetohome Foundation, five temporary homeless shelters were opened between December and February bringing 450 people inside every night. The shelters were full every night and often people had to be turned away. These low barrier shelters reduced obstacles that had kept people out of shelters. Before these shelters, all of these people were sleeping on the street, in front of businesses, in alleys, parkades, stairwells and parks.

The initial funding for the shelters covered operations until March 31, 2009. After that, the Province through BC Housing took over funding and extended operations for the five shelters until June 30, 2009. In late June 2009, the Minister of Housing and Social Development announced funding would continue for three shelters to April 30, 2010. One of the shelters was then closed (Granville) and one other (Howe) was extended to July 31, 2009, pending community consultation.

 

HEAT shelters have benefits

By providing people with a safe place to stay, two meals a day and the chance to build relationships with staff, many shelter users were able to make positive changes in their lives. Over 70 people who stayed at the shelters have been moved into permanent housing.

Chris, one of the shelter users says: Before, I was not eating. Now I get 2 meals a day, snacks, decent food. My hygiene is a lot better and in general I'm taking better care of myself. I'm not spending all day stressing about where I'm going to sleep or what I'll wake up without. This is a place you can come to relax and stay off the streets and stay out of trouble. There's a difference between outside on the street and inside here... It's also nice having people close cuz I'm a loner.

The number of people sleeping on the streets in the downtown area declined significantly. In September 2008, the Downtown Vancouver Business Improvement Association (DVBIA) recorded 267 people sleeping on the streets overnight in the downtown area. By January 2009, that number fell to just 12 people. The DVBIA also recorded significant decreases in aggressive panhandling. The Vancouver Police (VPD) report 16 per cent fewer crimes in this area (District One, including the central business district and West End) in May 2009 compared to one year earlier.

The Howe Shelter is one piece of the housing puzzle

Two of the shelters opened last winter were in the False Creek North area. The Granville Shelter opened in December 2008 under the Granville Bridge. The Howe Shelter followed in February. In response to the high demand for shelters in this part of the city, and the increasing number of turn-aways from the Granville Shelter, a second shelter on Howe Street between Pacific Boulevard and Beach Avenue opened in February. Each shelter had space for 38 people. In response to community concerns the Granville Shelter closed on July 1, 2009.

The Howe Shelter has provincial funding to operate until July 31, 2009. The City is gathering public input and will report back to the Minister of Housing and Social Development. The shelter could receive a funding extension to April 30, 2010.

Shelter occupants are mostly from the West End and Downtown South neighbourhoods

Shelter occupants are largely street youth who have suffered sexual, physical and emotional abuse and are living with mental health and addiction issues that cannot be treated while they are living on the street. Evidence clearly shows that ending street homelessness through the provision of housing significantly reduces costs to the public health, justice and social services sectors.

The City is responding to neighbourhood concerns

Coinciding with the onset of warmer weather which brought people outside, the City began receiving complaints about the shelters in late April 2009.

As of June 30, the City received e-mail complaints from 65 individuals. On June 11, a community forum was held where neighbours shared their concerns with the City and shelter operators.

Through e-mails, letters, telephone calls and the community forum, the City has heard the concerns listed below. The City and its partners, in turn, have taken steps to decrease impacts to the neighbourhood.

The City believes these steps will greatly improve the ability of the Howe Shelter to integrate into the neighbourhood.

Concerns

Steps Taken

Residents and business in the neighbourhood were not consulted before the shelters were opened last winter. Congregating in the lane between Granville and Howe, particularly in the afternoon and early evening, when they are waiting to get into the shelter. Concerns raised about the behaviour of people in the lane and neighbourhood. Dealing and using illicit drugs in the neighbourhood. Discarding of syringes in the neighbourhood. There is increased garbage surrounding the shelter, particularly in the lane There is insufficient access to toilets when the shelters are closed during the day causing shelter users to use public places and private property. We also heard from neighbourhood residents who have said that the concerns listed above have been overstated.

Initiating consultation – in addition to this immediate consultation, if the shelter remains open, more extensive public consultation will take place through the development permit process. In response to neighbourhood concerns, the Granville shelter has been closed. Eliminating the line-up in the lane – the shelters initially operated on a first-come-first-served basis and required line-ups. Now, a reservation system is being used. Shelter users are assured of their space until they no longer need it, and the need for a line-up has been eliminated. Transferring very challenging individuals – RainCity is arranging other accommodation for people with very challenging behaviours where higher levels of support services are available. The VPD has an enhanced presence in the area. Addressing the issue of garbage and sanitation – access to toilets will be partly addressed by the reservation system eliminating the need for shelter users to wait in a line-up. The City and its partners continue to explore options for providing additional access to toilet facilities. Opening the shelter more hours in the day to accommodate access is being considered. Daily garbage pick-up and monitoring by City Engineering has been introduced.

We need to hear more from the community

The City believes the HEAT shelters, including the Howe Shelter, are needed to bridge the gap to interim or permanent supportive housing coming on stream. Evidence is clear that moving people off the street to housing is the only solution for ending homelessness. We don't believe that shelters are a long-term solution. We recognize that shelters come with challenges.

This public input process seeks to balance the need for shelters and their benefits with the localized issues shelters can create. We’ve heard the concerns of neighbours regarding the Howe Shelter. Actions have been taken to address these concerns, including closing the Granville Shelter. We look forward to hearing your suggestions.

The public will have more opportunity to provide feedback. If funding for the shelter is extended, the City will form a Community Advisory Committee to engage neighbours in an ongoing way.

A Development Permit (DP) with extensive public input will be required for the shelter to operate through next winter.

Share your ideas about homelessness

On any given night, over 1,600 people are living on the street in Vancouver. The Province and the City are developing long-term supportive housing, but we’re still facing a 2 – 5 year gap before this housing is ready.
Moving people from temporary shelters to interim housing to permanent supportive housing is the strategy to bridge the gap. Let us know what you think about this approach, and share other ideas you have to help solve homelessness in our city.

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