Vancouver Mayor Kennedy Stewart said he’s proud of the work being done in the Downtown Eastside to clean up an encampment on Hastings Street.
The city, fire department and BC Housing gave an update on the ongoing process at a news conference Wednesday.
“This is very, very hard work and (our) staff have approached it following our core principle of care and compassion,” Stewart said.
“It is a very painful process and we are doing everything we can to restore a sense of belonging and dignity.”
4:19 ‘It’s not a matter of if a fire will happen, but when it will happen’: Vancouver fire chief worries about camp safety ‘It’s not a matter of if a fire will happen, it’s when it will happen’ . make it happen’: Vancouver fire chief on camp safety issues
Read more: “Where are we supposed to go?” Downtown Eastside Rally Opposes Tent City Eviction
Story continues below ad
The city’s latest tent camp took shape in July. Its residents and advocates have criticized both the city and the province for not providing enough housing, accusing the city of “sweeping the housing crisis under the rug” in its efforts to clean up the street. A large banner was previously posted in the area that read, “Where are we supposed to go?”
“We know what we’re doing is not enough,” said Dale McMann of BC Housing. “The most recent count found there are 2,000 homeless people in Vancouver.”
BC Housing said that so far, 40 vulnerable people on Hastings Street have agreed to move indoors and will move into the newly opened shelter spaces this week. It also announced that 700 new spaces are on the way “in the coming weeks and months”.
In the meantime, the organization and the city are working together to “identify sites for temporary housing,” including some on city-owned land.
7:20 Vancouver City Manager Outlines Next Steps to Remove Structures in Downtown Eastside Vancouver City Manager Outlines Next Steps to Remove Structures in Downtown Eastside
Read more: Vancouver has a new tent city. This time it’s on the street, not a park
Story continues below ad
Fire Chief Karen Fry said progress in clearing structures and tents has been incremental, focusing on a “compassionate approach”.
In July, Fry issued a fire safety order for the area, warning that the accumulation of structures and combustible materials created a significant hazard.
“It’s not a matter of if a fire will happen, it’s when a fire will happen,” Fry told reporters, listing safety risks such as blocked exits, blocked access to fire department connections, combustible materials against buildings and drums of propane .
Firefighters singled out 10 high-risk areas, and Fry said that so far, seven of them have been cleared of combustible materials.
“Since we issued the warrant, we’ve had personnel down there every day,” he said.
“They work with city partners and talk to people who live on the streets, educating them about the risks and even training them on how to use fire extinguishers.”
1:55 ‘Cycle of Displacement’: Homeless advocates condemn Hastings Street encampment ‘Cycle of Displacement’: Homeless advocates condemn Hastings Street encampment – August 16, 2022
Asked about the very public confrontation between police officers and some members of the Downtown Eastside community earlier this month amid efforts to clean up the area, the city said the VPD is not part of the process, but rather will continue to patrol the area.
Story continues below ad
Kennedy also said he expects more federal housing resources to be on the way.
Read more: City moves to ‘provide information’ as Hastings Street camp enters Day 2
Related news
-
The fire in 3 buildings in downtown Vancouver has displaced more than 50 people
-
Vancouver police arrest 4 after finding guns in tent at Hastings Street camp
The Vancouver Area Drug Users Network advocacy group said the city should focus more on improving conditions in single-room hotels.
“The fire order was a bit of a travesty in terms of the safety of the people on the block. We put out a bunch of fire extinguishers on the blocks there. There were a few fires and they were all taken care of.” said VANDU board member Dave Hamm.
“What they should be focusing on is the bylaw violations at the SROs, that’s where people are dying. That’s where the fires are happening.”
The group said they were not told about the structure removal plan, although they were meeting with the city.
“During the last meeting we attended, that’s when the order came out, while we were sitting with them,” Hamm said.
“We had no idea it was coming. That was very disingenuous of them.”
Forcing people to move without offering them stable housing is a direct violation of a 2021 memorandum of understanding signed by the city, he added.
Related news
© 2022 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.