I am writing this letter only because I feel that the people of Vernon are not really paying attention to the problems that are occurring all over the downtown core.
Yes, there is a need for more affordable housing, but there is more than that. These people have serious addictions that are not being dealt with.
We have to get people in our local government to realize this and stop waiting for someone else to solve the problem. Yes, it is expensive, everyone knows that, and there are a lot of people trying very hard to solve this: Police, ambulance, hospitals and many more.
We must forget about building new places that will attract people until we use our money to solve this problem
These street people are becoming more and more aggressive and people do not want to go to downtown Vernon.
I was born and raised here and do not want to live anywhere else in my old age.
People who worked hard for their money do not want to constantly be sworn at and afraid to say ‘no’ to their demands.
We as a community must come together and stand up for our right to work and live in our community. I do still work part-time and also do volunteer work.
I realize not all of the homeless people are disrespectful and thank those who treat others with respect. Vernon is not the only city with this problem and I am very thankful for the task force that is trying to help change this. I wish them well and hope the city of Vernon will try to meet their recommendations.
Elizabeth Roy