Years ago, I headed up a risk management team in Vernon that was tasked with the job of finding a solution to issues surrounding homelessness. At that time, the homeless were thought of by many as a blight on our city. The city was moving them from place to place, hoping the problem would just go away.
Our team worked with the RCMP, businesses and community organizations to compile a report on the issues and make recommendations. One of our main findings was there was a great need for mutual respect and a sense of ownership.
I have the great fortune to be friends with many homeless people. This allows me to glean special insight into some of their decision making and reasoning. People often assume the men and women in this situation want to be tucked away in the shadows where they cannot be seen. In reality, these people wish for and deserve a sense of safety during the days and nights, and even a place to call their own. The site they picked along 25th Avenue is not in the shadows. Rather, it is under the safety of street lights in plain sight.
As I barbecue for homeless people over the seasons and years, I see there are some who are present for the warmer months and some who remain throughout the cold of winter. I propose a plan focusing on the warmer eight months of the year. My plan would see the homeless become partially integrated members of our society, members who are welcomed and not looked down upon. Part of a park would be sectioned off for a low-cost campground. An area would be fenced off with shrubs. Each site would have a lock box at the rear and space for one tent. The camp would be run by a staff member and only registered guests would be welcomed. There would be porta potties and a portable wash station or alternately, permanent restrooms could be built.
Cities often teeter-totter between not doing enough for the homeless, or doing too much and attracting more. I believe the campground plan would provide the balance needed. The city would be providing space, washrooms and minimal staff. The expenses would be far less than the current amount spent on policing, bylaw enforcement, cleanup and the hired security now in place. The homeless would feel a sense of ownership over the space, which would lead them to respect that space.
I believe the most important thing is this would allow Vernon’s most vulnerable population to feel they are not a spectacle and looked down upon by other members of the community. It would give them a place to call home and would keep them safe.
M.J. Buffie
Vernon