Calls for compassion grow as Vancouver residents criticize lack of action on homelessness

VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – As more people call for increased action to deal with the homeless crisis in Vancouver, others are urging residents to practice compassion.

This comes amid reports hostility and open drug use are forcing people living in a Gastown building to use the back entrance.

Peter Meiszner, editor in chief of Urban YVR and who lives near Yaletown, is among those calling for action.

He says issues surrounding homelessness and addiction have spread throughout the downtown area, and he’s watched the situation get worse in his neighbourhood.

“I had somebody spit in my face, I had somebody yelling homophobic slurs at me when I walked by,” he adds.

Meiszner has taken to social media to call the city out for its response.

Update on this please, @CityofVancouver.
Photos below are from today. Looks like it’s not a priority? Just hundreds of Yaletown/Crosstown residents like myself walking by it on their way to Costco, etc on a daily basis — for the past 2-3 years! https://t.co/PbMrahmb0i pic.twitter.com/AMv3kc4vjq

— Peter Meiszner (@PeterMeiszner) September 2, 2020

He claims he sees few police foot patrols, and would like better clean-up from the city.

“There’s this sense of disorder and chaos downtown that anything can happen, and there’s a lot of unpredictable people walking around. And nobody seems to really care. The residents down here are kind of left to fend for themselves.”

Meiszner says he recognizes the COVID-19 pandemic and overdose crisis are extremely challenging issues, however, he believes the city is not doing its part.

“There’s been no response. It’s been denial about the situation,” Meiszner says, adding if the mayor travelled to the central part of the city, he would notice how dire the situation is.

“In my building here, we’ve had to hire a security guard, we’ve had to put up extra gates, we’ve increased cleaning,” he explains.

Gastown residents have had enough

The owner of a rental apartment building in Vancouver’s Gastown neighbourhood is echoing concerns the city is not doing enough to address the problem.

Jon Stovell, the president of Reliance Properties, says groups of drug users have been camping out in front of the entryway to the building on Hastings and Carrall streets, preventing residents from using the door.

“Our tenants cannot even come and go from the front door — which is one of the fire exits, by the way — because the homeless people, and drug dealers, and drug users, and campers basically enter right into the foyer and block the doors,” Stovell explains, adding residents are forced to enter the building through the back alley.

“And even out there, now, they’re starting to get assaulted and accosted.”

Read more: Owner of Vancouver building says Gastown residents blocked by hostile campers

He tells NEWS 1130 that at one time, there was a waiting list to rent an apartment in the building. However, that’s since changed.

“The building has gone from having a waiting list to, you know, building up vacancy now — which is very unusual — and tenants moving in and then wanting to move out right away,” he tells NEWS 1130.

Stovell says the building manager has even been hurt while trying to get people to move from the foyer, and notes there’s been graffiti painted on the building, among other issues.

The impacts aren’t just isolated to his building, either, Stovell says, noting businesses and other residential towers are also reporting similar concerns.

Compassion for the homeless

With some wondering whether there’s been an increase in the number of homeless people around Vancouver, Jeremy Hunka with the Union Gospel Mission says his organization has noticed a rise.

“I don’t think that people are imagining an increase in the visibility of homelessness,” Hunka tells NEWS 1130.

Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Hunka says the UGM has had to turn more people away as the need for support rises.

While he acknowledges there have been major efforts — locally, provincially, and federally — to help those who are most vulnerable in recent months, he believes the issue far outweighs the supports being mobilized.

“There are a lot of great things happening,” Hunka says. “The city and the province just announced 450 new units of housing — 350 of which are permanent and about 100 that are modular housing — and the city is coming to bat with that. And those are great things, but, unfortunately, as great as that housing is and as great as the efforts are right now, the need is still far greater.”

New navigation centres, hotel rooms being leased for additional shelter, community centres being opened to house those in need, and additional units are some of the other efforts Hunka commends.

However, the question, he says, isn’t “What are we doing?” — it should be “Are we doing enough?”

“And right now the need is still outstripping our response as a region,” Hunka explains, adding addressing homelessness needs to be a priority for everyone, not just politicians.

When asked on Thursday to address the homeless crisis, B.C. Premier John Horgan urged people to have some compassion, adding there’s no quick fix to the issue.

“These are issues that we are all responsible for,” Horgan said. “They’re our brothers and our sisters and our mothers and fathers that are displaced for no fault of their own in most instances and we need to offer hands up and help when we can.”

Hunka echoes Horgan’s calls for compassion.

"This is a complex issue…. I appeal for patience." @jjhorgan There is a pandemic but that's not an excuse for inaction and all levels of government need to work together to be compassionate and find solutions.#bcpoli @NEWS1130 #covid19

— LizaYuzda (@LizaYuzda) September 3, 2020

When asked about the concerns being raised by people like Meiszner, Stovell, and others, Hunka stresses the need for people to remember: we’re talking about human beings.

“You might see them in a bad situation, but that doesn’t define them for their entire life,” he says.

“The problems that residents are seeing in their communities that they don’t like that they’re associating with homelessness right now — things like garbage or those types of uncomfortable things that we see — studies repeatedly show time after time after time that when you provide housing and supports and wrap-around supports, all those issues reduce.”

City of Vancouver responds

In a statement regarding the concerns raised by Stovell in Gastown, the City of Vancouver says “There have not been any site specific complaints to 3-1-1.”

It notes that it is regularly meeting with partners to “monitor the situation and identify the work needed to address specific issues in the area.”

The city says as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, homelessness has become more visible around Vancouver as many drop-ins, libraries, and community centres have been forced to close their doors.

“This has meant that those experiencing homelessness across Vancouver have fewer places to go inside to access services and supports,” the statement to NEWS 1130 reads.

It assures that sanitation services have been increased in recent weeks around the downtown area, as well as along East Hastings Street.

In addition to its efforts, the city says its outreach team has added shifts to support those in need. It has also used BC Housing funding to conduct outreach twice a week.

“The city urges residents to show compassion to others, many of whom are were already marginalized and are now facing untold additional challenges as a result of COVID-19 which has led to greater housing instability, increased overdose deaths in the community and restricted access to vital services.”

People are encouraged to call the city at 3-1-1 to report issues in the area.

-With files from Amanda Wawryk and Liza Yuzda