Half of the residents surveyed in Sidney and the West Shore, along with a third of those in Saanich, Oak Bay, Victoria and Esquimalt, don’t think homelessness is an issue in their communities.
This survey result came as a shock to the Greater Victoria Coalition to End Homelessness, the non-profit organization that conducted the annual poll of residents throughout the region in January.
“Although homelessness often gets deflected downtown, the barriers to having a home begin in all communities,” said executive director Andrew Wynn-Williams.
“Just because you’re not seeing people on the streets does not mean homelessness is not there. They could be couch-surfing, sleeping in cars or tents.”
He noted that there are particularly low vacancy rates for affordable rental housing in the West Shore.
Langford Coun. Lillian Szpak said the West Shore is diverse and attracting residents, partly because of relatively affordable housing.
“We’re a young community. We have working families and some of the highest ownership rates. But people might be getting in their cars and going to work, taking care of the family, and not noticing what’s happening in their community,” said Szpak, who would like to see more rental and social housing in the western communities.
“As the community grows and matures, we will see more demand for services. We have a huge responsibility to take care of our vulnerable,” she said.
According to the coalition, there were 1,659 people in Greater Victoria who made use of a shelter in 2012-13. As of March 2013, 1,477 were on the wait-list for B.C. Housing and 20,524 used a food bank in one month alone.
While there is no permanent shelter in the West Shore, Jen Book, regional co-ordinator for the Greater Victoria Extreme Weather Response Plan, said demand in the area led to an emergency shelter being set up at the Sooke Baptist Church for the first time this year.
“Most people living rough on the West Shore head to town in the winter, but we found we weren’t getting them soon enough,” Book said. Because of the travel distance and limited transit, homeless people often arrive at the emergency shelters ill and end up in hospital.
This winter, the Sooke shelter was activated 32 times from December to the end of March, with a total of 67 stays. Book said West Shore homeless also travelled to shelters in Victoria.
“I picked people up myself at the West Shore mall and dropped them off at the Native Friendship Centre,” she said. “It’s especially hard for people who have been banned from downtown because they can’t access services.”
Saanich Coun. Paul Gerrard was disappointed by the lack of public understanding about homelessness in the region.
“People must be burying their heads in the sand. As long as they’re comfortable, they turn a blind eye,” said Gerrard, who is on the coalition leadership council and chairs the CRD Regional Housing Trust Fund.
He noted that the cost of living is rising for middle- class residents such as teachers, nurses and police.
“If they’re struggling, imagine being on minimum wage,” Gerrard said. “A lot of people are a paycheque away from homelessness.”
Some of the survey results reinforced what Wynn-Williams and Gerrard believe are solutions to homelessness.
Ninety per cent of respondents agreed that affordable housing would help reduce homelessness, and 85 per cent said ensuring access to affordable housing is the responsibility of the government.
“We definitely need more public education. … We need more services for people with mental-health issues and we need more supportive housing,” Gerrard said.
“It’s time to end this three-ring circus of jail, hospital and back on the streets.”
To see the survey results, visit victoriahomelessness.ca.
