How do you solve Victoria’s homelessness crisis? You provide more housing.

But that’s not the whole solution, said speakers at a forum on homelessness at the University of Victoria Thursday.

Finding shelter for an estimated 1,600 homeless people in Victoria is the priority, but providing a roof does not pull people out of poverty, give support to those trying to change their street lifestyle or help those struggling with mental-health and addiction problems.

“For some, this is truly an affordability crisis and safe, adequate, affordable housing and an adequate income is the answer,” said Bernie Pauly, assistant professor with UVic’s School of Nursing and one of the forum organizers. “For others … housing alone will not address decades of poverty, trauma, mental illness, physical disability or addiction.”

The transition to being housed after living on the street is complicated, even without underlying health problems or addictions, said Kim Jaundreau, who currently has a home but formerly lived on the street.

“You don’t just fix everything when you get a set of keys. The concept of working for eight hours and cooking dinner are not concepts which are in your head on the street,” she said.

When you are homeless, the only thoughts are how to get food and where to sleep, Jaundreau said.

Rev. Al Tysick, pastor and executive director of Our Place, who holds about two funerals a week at the centre, wakes street regulars at 5:45 each morning.

“I will bury many of them this coming year. Many of them are sick, many addicted, many with mental illness and many of them are dying,” he said.

Tysick told a story about trying to get one woman to the doctor because she had an abscess running with pus and was covered with scabs. She refused because she was meeting her heroin dealer.

“The dragon had her in his clutches,” said Tysick. “She was on her deathbed, but she yearned, one more time, to sleep with the dragon.”

Tysick wants to see community action. “Let’s not wait for government. Let’s move forward. Let’s talk about solutions together,” he said.

Homeless activist Rose Henry asked why the city couldn’t donate land for a tent city.

But government action is also needed, said Victoria MP Denise Savoie, who wants a new national housing program, with government getting back into the social-housing business.

Two decades of changes to federal and provincial government policies have fuelled a housing availability and affordability crisis, Pauly said.

“Homelessness is a form of extreme poverty and the solutions to homelessness require significant government investment in housing, income and supports.”

jlavoie@tc.canwest.com