Vancouver's Downtown Eastside (DTES) residents and supportive housing providers are grappling with a proposed policy shift from the city aimed at addressing homelessness and poverty. Mayor Ken Sim has pledged to break what he calls the 'poverty industrial complex,' prioritizing accountability, public safety, and recovery. His plan includes decentralizing services and pausing the construction of new supportive housing in Vancouver until more is built in other Metro Vancouver municipalities. This shift has sparked debate, with some supportive housing providers arguing that their services are essential and that the proposed changes could harm the most vulnerable residents.
The people who provide supportive housing on Vancouver 's Downtown Eastside say it is extremely challenging but an essential service they provide - despite a change in strategy by the city. Global's Kristen Robinson went to the troubled neighbourhood Friday to get the thoughts of those most impacted by the politicians' promises. Ken Sim has promised to break what he described as the “poverty industrial complex,” by prioritizing accountability, public safety and recovery.
Sim says that for too long, hundreds of millions of dollars have been spent in the area without delivering meaningful change. The proposed policy shift includes decentralizing services and pausing the construction of new supportive housing across the city until more is built in other Metro Vancouver municipalities. PHS Community Services Society, which provides more than 1,700 units of supportive housing in Vancouver and Victoria along with health care and harm reduction, rejects the idea that non-profit organizations in the DTES are simply maintaining the status quo and not improving the situation. “My god, if we didn’t exist what you would see would be the things that are our daily reality,” PHS CEO Micheal Vonn told Global News. “I can only say it’s a very big job.” Vonn said employees of PHS modular housing buildings, highly supportive low-barrier homes and shelters are the “goalies” for the most vulnerable. “When healthcare says we can’t handle this, we can’t house somebody who starts fires, when some kind of traditional housing says we can’t handle this person with a brain injury — we can’t handle, we can’t handle, we can’t handle — we say, ‘we’ll try.’” “It means people who are mentally ill to the point where they hoard things that I’m not even going to discuss,” she said. The CEO of The Bloom Group, which also provides housing, health and social service supports to people with chronic health challenges and addictions, said he generally agrees there needs to be a change in everyone’s approach to the DTES. Alberta Premier Danielle Smith pitching joint Canada-U.S. NORAD military base in Arctic “I am very interested in moving this concept forward, with positive results for all,” Henderson said via email earlier this week. The Bloom Group provides 127 units of affordable housing, supportive homes for 66 residents and housing for 81 individuals with chronic mental health challenges in the DTES, according to its website. “There (are) a lot of homeless people down here that really need housing and a little bit of help to change their lifestyle,” DTES resident Matthew Charleson told Global News. Charleson said he wants to change his lifestyle after moving to the DTES from Vancouver Island to focus on his recovery. Formerly homeless, Charleson said he found a place to live at the Jubilee Rooms and is optimistic about the mayor’s plans for change in the low-income neighbourhood. Charleson added he wants to leave the DTES and start working again. “I wouldn’t want to be downtown if it’s going to stay the same like this,” he said. “Anywhere else but here.
Vancouver Downtown Eastside Supportive Housing Homelessness Policy Change Mayor Ken Sim PHS Community Services Society The Bloom Group
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