Some semi-interesting news appeared in my email inbox Wednesday morning.
It was a news release from the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing announcing that it will spend $2.8 million this winter to provide 300 shelter beds at 10 locations in Vancouver.
Which is good news for homeless people.
But why only semi-interesting?
Because for the better part of a decade, there has always been a scrap around this time of the year between the provincial government and the city over funding for winter shelter beds. On the government side, it was then-housing minister Rich Coleman putting up his dukes to Mayor Gregor Robertson and his scrappy councillor, Kerry Jang.
It made for some good copy.
But after some very quotable exchanges, with all involved still standing, Coleman would eventually buckle and agree to pay for the beds and staff to operate the shelters. The minister, however, always made a point of outlining the millions of dollars spent in 麻豆传媒映画on 13 social housing buildings, more than 20 single-room-occupancy hotels, year-round shelters, temporary housing and rent supplements.
last October in one of our many conversations: 鈥淭he one thing I always say to [the city] is, 鈥榊ou might want to start off by saying that we鈥檇 like to thank our most significant partner in housing, who鈥檚 paying 90 per cent of the bills.鈥欌��
That quote came the week after Robertson accused the Christy Clark government of waging 鈥渨ar on the poor鈥� while investing 鈥渂illions and billions of dollars in projects of questionable merit.鈥� He was referring to the Site C dam project and replacement of the Massey Tunnel.
Anyway, along comes John Horgan and his NDP crew, and the farm team in 麻豆传媒映画is now quite happy. No arguing, no grandstanding, no scrap. I鈥檝e got to think former Vision 麻豆传媒映画city councillor, Geoff Meggs, who resigned in July to become Horgan鈥檚 chief of staff had something to do with this.
The release takes some partisan shots at Coleman and company, saying this year鈥檚 $2.8 million for the shelters is $1.2 million more than last year鈥檚 commitment. We also learn the shelters will open Nov. 1, 鈥渁 month earlier than in previous years.鈥� The city will spend $720,000 to cover leases and improvements to the shelters.
How鈥檚 the mayor feeling about this?
As you might expect a former NDP MLA to feel.
And I quote: "We're grateful for the B.C. government's funding boost this year to open more shelter spaces, a month earlier than usual, on top of 600 temporary modular homes. This winter, providing a warm place to sleep, a meal, and access to health services can make all the difference to getting people back on their feet and into secure homes."
That reference to 600 modular homes is. I鈥檓 hearing the city is close to announcing where the first of what will be 10 to 12 modular complexes will be built. It will be on private land.
As I said off the top, all this is good news for homeless people.
But, as I heard during the recent byelection campaign from several of the candidates vying to replace Meggs on council, 麻豆传媒映画needs way more housing. Robertson and his Vision crew should be fierce fighters in lobbying senior levels of government, they said.
The homeless population in 麻豆传媒映画continues to grow, even with additional shelter spaces and new housing. This year鈥檚 count showed 2,138 people were without a home. As Meggs himself said last year after learning more than 1,800 people were counted in 麻豆传媒映画as homeless: 鈥淭hey are sobering numbers.鈥�
An observation, I assume, he hasn鈥檛 forgotten.
@Howellings
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