Victoria council is considering deadline changes for some of its major goals, including its aim to eradicate homelessness in Greater Victoria by the end of next year. That deadline is no longer seen as achievable.
Victoria Mayor Lisa Helps wants to change the 2018 homelessness deadline, listed in city council’s strategic planning document, to 2021, to match the revised target set by the Coalition to End Homelessness, which she co-chairs.
“The coalition was started in 2008 to end homelessness in 10 years. That didn’t happen. That isn’t going to happen, so you have to revise and get more realistic about what the goals are and have a plan and funding to meet them,” Helps said.
It makes sense for the city to have the same goals in its plan as the coalition’s, Helps said. “The coalition’s goals are that by 2019 the most marginally housed are housed, and by 2021 everyone who needs housing has it. So those are the goals that should be reflected in our strategic plan.”
Coun. Ben Isitt said the revised deadline is “sadly” a reflection of the current reality. Isitt said that given the agreement by the capital region and the province to make a total of $60 million available for housing initiatives, along with provincial housing efforts prompted by year’s downtown tent city, that the 2018 deadline should be achievable if there were a political will.
“I think we should be expediting our efforts to build a sufficient supply of housing with supports for people in need in our community, but I’m not convinced there’s the political will to get the shovels in the ground on the timeline that would be necessary to have that housing in place by 2018,” Isitt said. “I do think the funding is in place to get us within striking distance of eliminating homelessness.”
Helps is recommending several other edits to the city’s 2015-2018 strategic plan, drafted after this council was first elected.
Among the proposed changes:
• Have a passenger train running between Victoria and Langford in 2017 (previously 2016).
• Increase the number of funding partners for the McPherson Playhouse by the end of 2017 (previously 2015).
• Ensure Crystal Pool issues are resolved by replacing or renovating the facility by 2018 (previously 2017).
• Start construction on a sewage treatment plant in 2017 (previously 2018).
Isitt said he strongly supports the revised schedule to get a train running this year. “I’m very confident we can have a commuter train running in the region this year.” Bayview Place developer Ken Mariash has said that he’s working on a plan to resume rail service on the E&N track between Vic West and Langford as early as this year.
Coun. Geoff Young has long been pushing for changes in the way the McPherson is funded. While Victoria, Oak Bay and Saanich contribute to operation of the Royal Theatre, Victoria is alone in funding the McPherson.
In 1999, the city succeeded in having the McPherson funded through the Capital Regional District, in the hope that other municipalities would view it as a regional facility and chip in to cover a portion of the costs. That hasn’t happened.
Young was recently successful in having the CRD hold back further capital spending on the McPherson until Victoria is satisfied that there’s a plan to address costs and attract other partners.
“It is certainly an issue that I expect will continue to be discussed and that I hope to continue to raise,” Young said.
