All posts by James W. Breckenridge

Homeless, Provincial

Province urged to create housing

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Fund it with property-transfer taxes, municipal politicians say

Frances Bula, with file from Jonathan Fowlie
Vancouver Sun
Wednesday, October 25, 2006

Some B.C. municipal politicians have urged the provincial government to use the hundreds of millions of dollars it collects in property-transfer taxes to help fund a housing program that will create housing.

However, at least one mayor said Tuesday it’s not really housing that’s needed. Instead, the province needs to put more into mental health and addictions treatment to get people off the street.

Whichever approach was argued, homelessness and housing dominated conversations at the Union of B.C. Municipalities annual meeting in Victoria this week. The meeting has attracted 1,900 councillors and regional district representatives from around the province.

“[Monday], we had a session on health that turned out to be about homelessness. A second session on affordable housing turned out to be about homelessness,” said New Westminster Mayor Wayne Wright, as he spoke Tuesday at a session for delegates from large urban centres.
Homelessness continued to be the theme of Wright’s day as he went to the washroom at the Empress Hotel, next to the convention centre, and found himself sharing it with a homeless man who was using it as his wash-up facility for the day.

Wright, along with many others, said the province has a crisis on its hands and no one is tackling it. “We spend billions on cancer research. Yet here we have a disease that’s in the middle of us that we’re not attacking the same way.”

Many politicians criticized, for the second day, Housing Minister Rich Coleman’s recently announced housing strategy, which will provide money to build shelters and transitional housing, along with giving housing subsidies to poor families living in private apartments who are spending a lot of money on housing in relation to their income.

Councillors like Dean Fortin of Victoria and Heather Deal of Vancouver argued that with vacancy rates near zero in those cities, housing subsidies won’t solve any problems, but will just raise rents.

Several politicians, including Alan Nixon from North Vancouver, Vic Derman of Saanich, and Al Hogarth of Maple Ridge, urged the provincial government to create a funding mechanism similar to the one now used for transportation, where part of the gas tax goes towards transit projects.
The property transfer tax, created in 1988 to discourage speculation, and which generated $830 million for the province last year, could be used to create a housing fund that others could add to.

That recommendation was echoed Tuesday afternoon, when delegates heard recommendations from an “economic opportunities” task force, which made the same suggestion.

But Mayor Gord Robson of Maple Ridge said his municipality doesn’t need housing, it needs treatment for its mentally ill and drug-addicted homeless people. Robson said a recent survey of all 177 homeless people in the Tri-Cities area showed that 98 per cent of them were either mentally ill or drug-addicted or both. “We don’t need housing, we need help. We can’t put them in jail. We can’t take them outside of town and shoot them. What do we do? They’re sick, it’s an epidemic, there’s thousands of them.”

The housing minister’s new assistant deputy minister, Mary Freeman, said the ministry wants to hear from communities about what is working and what isn’t so it can make adjustments.
The issue of affordable housing was once again addressed on Tuesday when Vancouver police arrested six protesters from the Downtown Eastside who had occupied an abandoned hotel.
The protesters moved into the empty North Star Hotel at 5 West Hastings St. on Sunday, demanding it be converted into social housing.

On Tuesday afternoon, VPD spokesman Const. Tim Fanning said the six people — three women and three men — were arrested and charged with assault by trespass. Fanning said the arrests were made without incident. “It went very smoothly. We kept the lines of communication open between the people running the protest and the leadership of the police operation and that helped keep things civil,” he said.

Hmmm

Musings on reaping limitless cosmic Wealth

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Sunday I was feeling somewhat melancholy having missed the Lost Checkered Sox performance Friday night. As a practitioner of good mental hygiene I realized a change of outlook was needed. So I decided to take advantage of the crisp, sunny fall day to sit in the sun contemplating and cogitating upon lost checkered socks and what their relationship to the Great washing machine mystery.

I speak of course of the apparent appetite of washing machines for devouring the odd sock. We all know that the idea of washing machines eating socks is ridiculous. Which leaves us to address what exactly is the fate of a missing sock and where do they go?

It occurred that what is required is a government grant of $250,000 to enable the conducting of a study of this great conundrum. This level of grant would permit the rental of a suitable space; supply all the cutting edge electronic tools to properly record the experimental results, a transport vehicle and a new heavy duty washer/dryer set. While considering the design parameters for the envisioned experiments it became obvious that the testing regimen required amendment to include the possibility that we are not dealing with a Great Washing Machine Mystery but rather a Great Dryer Mystery.

Thus it was quickly apparent that an additional Phase II $250,000 grant would be required to expand the study to include the washing machine vs. dryer hypothesis. In contemplating this increased funding stream it was recognized the opportunity was present to achieve both faster results and to serve a public need. Since the Phase I portion of the grant provides funding for the equipment to ensure the proper recording of the experiments, all of the second portion would be available to leverage the experiments to achieve a multiplier effect.

This Phase II grant would finance the salary for a research assistant, the procurement of a bank of heavy duty washer/dryers and a suitably accessible location. Opening the doors to those in poverty, the working poor and the homeless would ensure the randomness of wash loads while supplying the large number of wash loads called for in order to accelerate the experiment.
Given the demonstrated randomness of the sock relocation, the randomness of the loads, the large number of loads (reflective of the large need for access to laundry facilities in these poor/homeless populations) and with the detailed recording of the make up of each experimental load this approach holds the promise of greatly accelerating the process of determining the mass/mass distribution that triggers the effect. Once the general trigger parameters of the effect are determined it will be possible to focus experimentation on gaining a detailed understanding of the mass/distribution relationship to gain the ability to trigger the effect when desired.

Having sought theoretical inspiration through logical thought and analysis as well as the technique of seeking oneness with the Universe utilizing meditation on what is the true cause of sock relocation I have arrived at the only conclusion that explains the observed phenomena. I freely admit that at first I was incredulous at the conclusion the facts led to. However, as the wise know, when all other possibilities are eliminated what remains is the answer, no matter how fantastic or outrageous an answer it may appear to be.

Since a properly impressive name must await a deep understanding of the phenomena, it will be at this beginning stage of the experimental investigation referred to as washing machine dimension effect. I acknowledge that at this time it could very well be it is in fact the dryer dimension effect. However, until proof one way or the other is uncovered, Washing Machine Dimensional (w.m.d.) will be used to refer to the Effect.

The word dimension is used since it is clear that the repetitive mechanical workings of a washing machine (or dryer) when loaded with the correct mass/mass distribution of a load of laundry that includes at least one pair of socks causes an opening through another dimension to form. Evidence demonstrates that the inter-dimensional portal is a short lived and small phenomenon as only one sock is transported. Obviously this phenomenon functions in a manner similar to its larger and more spectacular cousin – the wormhole. I postulate that the opening of an “entrance portal” in one washing machine triggers the opening of an “exit portal” in another ‘in use’ distant washing machine. This conclusion is supported by and helps to explain the wide spread belief that washing machines (or dryers) are devouring socks. At the entrance machine the missing sock is noted while at the exit machine the presence of the transported sock leads to the erroneous conclusion that a sock is missing. Thus it is that at each occurrence of the Effect twice the actual number of disappeared socks are noted – explaining why the belief in machines devouring socks is so widely and firmly spread throughout the globe.

Advances in GPS technology will permit the quick pin-pointing of the exit portal location, permitting a timely arrival so that the make up of the destination load, the mass/mass distribution that supported the conditions that resulted in the formation of the exit portal. Thus Phase III, encompassing the need for transcontinental, perhaps intercontinental will necessitate a Phase III budget of $2,500,000. It is envisioned that the major focus of Phase III is to obtain an understanding of the rules/mechanism involved in the triggering/formation of entrance/exit portals.

Phase IV will take the understanding of the Effect obtained in Phase III in order to ascertain how to enter wmd space (the washing machine dimension), manoeuvre within wmd space and exit wmd space at a point in our space-time continuum of our choosing. The funding required for the micro portion of the research of this transportation method will be $25,000,000. Once the ability to enter, manoeuvre and exit wmd space using robotic micro probes is found to be feasible/within reach it is anticipated that the next Phase will begin to gear up before the final completion of Phase IV.

Phase V having a projected budget of $250,000,000 for the initial stage of this Phase which involves sizing up the probes from the micro to the macro level to permit the entrance, travel and exit of wmd space by transports capable of carrying human travellers/explorers. The second stage of this phase, requiring an investment of $2,500,000,000, is to engineer, design, build and test a ship in order to demonstrate the technologies suitability to space travel, exploration and resource exploitation.

Phase VI is to build a ship to explore the Terran solar system, planetary bodies and to inventory the system resources available for the establishment of off planet mining, manufacturing, engineering and “space dock” ship building facilities. It is anticipated that the technology involved will permit the ship to be built within the $25,000,000,000 budgeted for this phase.

With a budget $250,000,000,000 the vision for Phase VII is the deployment of the ship and other developed transportation/engineering/research & development resources to establish off planet resources. We know that the solar system abounds with mineral and energy resources easily accessible to those with efficient space transport. It is anticipated that it will be necessary to establish and staff space-based habitats to achieve the goals for this phase of creating mining, refining, manufacturing, engineering and building facilities.

Phase VIII with its budget of $250,000,000,000 is to use the developed off-earth resources and building capabilities in the continuing design, build and launch of interstellar exploration craft. It should be noted that the spin-off socially responsible actions of Phase II will be continued throughout the later Phases of the Project. It is anticipated that the empathy developed in making socially responsible choices and behaviour part of the modus operandi of the Project will permit the establishment of trade and co-operation with other space travelling life-forms. At this point it is to be expected that the Project will be sell financing from inter-species trade, processing of space borne resources and spin-offs of scientific resources.

The future is nova brilliant. The key to this abundance and to our space-faring/exploring future is leadership and the willingness to make the modest investment in the Project.

Municipal

Letter Re: editor something cool news

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Email from the editor of http://www.somethingcool.ca/

“Thanks for the email, as always. Do you have examples of this >treatment you are talking about or this just more of a general >feeling? If you have seen or heard of some things the powers that be >are doing that demonstrate these “inappropriate” behaviours, let me >know. I would like to bring attention to them and perhaps even get a >comment or two from Casey Vinet.”

Fred:

Hello. No it is not a “general feeling”. I had one of the homeless I know who was upset about it tell me about being awoken 10 time in one night to move along. Several others have volunteered stories to me of the police once again repeatedly moving them along, not to anywhere specific just “Not Here”. I went back and spoke to the worker I mentioned who looked me up to say someone needed to say something about this. Since the closing of the Park numerous clients have been complaining of once again being woken up and told to move while they are sleeping. As the worker said to me, and I have asked in letters to the editor at the local paper and to “officials” in meetings, what is the point in waking them and telling them to move when they have nowhere to go – except further down the street, to be awoken and moved repeatedly. The thing is these stories/complaints were not being told during the time the Park was open. In fact while the Park was open the police just sent people there if they found them sleeping somewhere. I need to note that some of those complaining were at Compassion Park when it was open – makes one wonder just how the /city and Mr Guthrie (city manager) define successful since they claimed their actions vis-à-vis the Park and its residents were “successful”.

One of the other things that I am hearing more of now is the homeless being stopped and searched or asked about stolen items. Actually I have witnessed this myself. One of the advantages I (and other homeless) derive from keeping our clothes and ourselves clean (and what a struggle that can be) is that we blend in, appearing to be “regular citizens”. Thus I have been walking down the street past a police officer who ignores me but accosts a homeless person (whose appearance is more in keeping with the police and public’s idea of what a homeless person appears like) behind me. Clearly they are making judgments based on appearance of homelessness. I have no doubt that some of the homeless may well be involved in some of the thefts. But the police take that as a reason/excuse to stop any of the homeless and accuse – or as they probably claim ask – about the stolen property. Again, while the Park was open and media, City government and politicians attention was focused on the homeless situation this type of harassment was greatly reduced. While some of the thefts are being committed by the “regular citizens” the police do not walk up to “regular citizens” on the street and in effect accuse them of being thieves, wanting the stolen items back. Hmmm?? I wonder what you would need to file a human rights complain against the Abbotsford Police for this clear prejudice and stereotyping?

The one thing that is clear is that in none of these cases where a social or outreach worker contacted by the police – as per the stated/claimed City policy.
Clearly one of the benefits of the Park that was lost when it was closed down by the City was a place to direct the homeless to that was “open for business” 24 hours a day 7 days a week. Now it appears it is easier to just return to old behaviours than it is to work out and implement new procedures for interfacing with the homeless residents/population of the City.

Clearly the big disadvantage for the homeless in the City that came from the closing of “Compassion Park” was the removal of all the media attention. It appears that without the threat of wide exposure of bad behaviour posed by the media, the City does not feel the same need to behave in a rational, intelligent, humane or compassionate way.

Myself? Well I am continuing to try to keep the citizens of Abbotsford thinking about ways they can help those members of the community in need. I am hoping that the charities and other local groups who have become aware of the homeless and poverty issues will be able to come together to accomplish some of the things that need to be done. Although I must admit it is a little frustration to read about Victoria breaking ground for the type of facility this community could use for the homeless while in Abbotsford they are just about to have the first meeting to plan for the wet/cold weather shelter (and I ask what about food?) for this coming, looming winter.

I am also experimenting/exploring the difficulties involved in moving on and transitioning off the streets. I am in one of the only 14 “supported independent living” (aka 2nd stage housing) units in the City priced at the shelter rate of $325.
I am upstairs at the Salvation Army in one of their rooms. I continue to work on my mental health and on job searching – although I hope to avoid accounting and find something that contributes to improving the plight of those in need. I have had several people tell me I should write a book so that is a project I am getting an outline/start on. Right now cash flow is a real problem although I do work part time in the Salvation Army emergency shelter. I have applied for PPMB since on that I can earn and keep $500 a month before the government takes dollar for dollar away (and where is the incentive to work in that idea?). The timing is such that I will either have to get around to meetings for a few days by bus and begging rides OR driving without insurance until the money hits the bank and I have the cash to buy it. Oh well, I should write about the problems in trying to transition off the streets – the public thinks of it as sooo easy , when in fact it is a real pain and a difficult journey.

Municipal

Of Hostages and Blackmail

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With the advertising misinformation campaign Abbotsford is using to sell the foolish Plan A to its citizens the City has reached a new low in its behaviour. Egotism, uncaring of what the needs or thoughts of the citizens are, fiscal waste, over-spending and irresponsibility are what the aware and thoughtful citizen has come to expect from City Staff and Council. But in holding the Clearbrook Library basement hostage and using this hostage to blackmail the librarians into actively handing out pins and literature to support this Plan A(bsolute Idiocy) the staff and council have stooped so low as to be “able to walk under a snakes belly”.

I have a friend who is an avid reader and is afraid he will be forced to hold his nose and join other patrons and staff in the repulsive need to vote for the ill-conceived museum/art gallery complex in order to ransom the Clearbrook library basement back from its kidnapper – the City of Abbotsford. Patrons, Friends and staff are denied the right to protest that, rather than the thoughtless Plan A, what the community truly desperately needs is a replacement or refurbishment of the MSA library.

While launching a flashy advertising campaign to sell the fool’s gold of Plan A to the public merely borders on improper behaviour, using such underhanded means to coerce support and deny free speech is criminal conduct. The most appropriate reaction involves tar, feathers and a rail to ride the perpetrators of this outrage out of town. Failing that, this major a decision effecting as it will the future of our City – OUR City, not council’s, not City staff’s – should be postponed until the next municipal election. Where the true facility needs of Abbotsford can be debated and decided in open public forums as opposed to behind closed doors. And the public can also express their opinion on what is acceptable behaviour for staff and council to engage in.

Chris O’Neill

Homeless

Drop-in

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“What do we need?” is a question often posed to me. With all that is needed to begin to address the many facets of the homeless question it can be hard, especially with the complications and massive needs that are a result of neglect and/or thoughtlessly actions or inactions, to decide where to start. These days I feel there is one item that stands out because it has the promise to save lives if we can act quickly enough.

The final touches are being put on the official Abbotsford strategy for extreme weather. Truly nice to see a positive step forward in a timely fashion without hemming and hawing or a list of reasons why not. Although the project I want to get off the ground may not cause hemming and hawing it will cause screaming, massive lists of “Why nots”, NIMBY’s, and have politics rearing its ugly head. An extreme weather plan is needed, but weather conditions that are not deemed extreme can still, in our wet, rainy climate pose significant threats to health and even life.

I was homeless last winter, living through day after day of often torrential rain. Even with my car, which was a water proof shelter, the rain and wet were hard to deal with. For those without such a waterproof haven the weather was a threat. I had someone come up to me and say thank you for Street Hope. I was not an official volunteer but since I was depending on them for a warm place, hot coffee and food, and since I was capable I pitched in to help where needed. This would explain his mistake and it was simpler to accept the thanks and pass it along to Dave and his dedicated band. The point was the having finished treatment and living sober he felt he needed to express his thanks because he felt that having a place for drying out, to get dry clothes, hot coffee and food was why he was alive to become sober. He was not the first person I had heard express this belief, that someone’s life was saved due to being able to drop in. Unfortunately Street Hope was judged undesirable and the people who depended on it “expendable”. In the words of the businessman Scrooge “Let them die and reduce the surplus population”. It seems likely the scrooges of the downtown Abbotsford would include “just don’t die on my doorstep and create a nuisance”.

So a open drop-in has made its way to the top of my list as it has not only the potential to save lives but its potential to provide other much needed services. It would not be open 24 hours a day, but its hours would be long and extended to cover the hours other places of help and refuge are closed. It also needs to be tasked with working with its neighbours to address problems – just as the neighbours would be tasked with doing their part in problem solving. So here are some of my ideas. Just remember that in keeping with my views on the homeless situation I do not view this as a bible but as a starting place. Anything you undertake has to be flexible, open to trying new ideas, open to community ideas and definitely not written in stone. So, this is a framework for getting off our butts and making a start. For as I have already quoted Yoda: Try not. Do or Do Not. There is no Try”. We need to stop hiding behind “try or trying to” and Do.

I want to open the Locus of Dawn. A drop-in centre for the homeless, the poor, the lonely, those in need of help and the volunteer. The mission statement of the centre is in its name:

*Locus*: n. 1: a locality; a place; 2: A center or focus of great activity or intense concentration 3: The set or configuration of all points that satisfy specific conditions. *Dawn*: n. 1: a first appearance; a beginning; or as a verb v. 1: become clear or enter one’s consciousness or emotions; 2: To begin to be perceived or understood;

For some it will be a place for people to come to begin their journey. These journeys could be to goals such as housing, employment or addiction treatment. For some it will be a place for it to enter their minds, and for it to become clear, that they need to make some changes. For the community and others involved, it is a place to begin to perceive and understand all the facets of homelessness, poverty and addiction. It will provide a focus for the great many activities needed to begin to help people move from homeless to employment and back into society. The concentration will be on its particular mission – the homeless are to be its single-minded focus and its concentration to be on addressing the needs of the homeless community. But it will be open to all those who have a need that the centre can meet as part of its daily services provided to the homeless community, welcoming all as long as it does not detract from the mission to meet the needs of the homeless. The centre needs to have a varied set (or configuration) of points (services, knowledge, contacts, et al) satisfying specific conditions (for each differing destination).

What do I envision this centre providing? *** (Subject to revision without notice to incorporate any good ideas and suggestions). 1) Coffee; a location for church groups who wish to serve food (lunches or evenings); to ensure that a supper of some sort is available daily; a place to collect and distribute clothing, bedding, etc. a place that interested groups can use to distribute to the homeless and poormail boxes, telephones for phone access, industrial washers and dryers, shower facilities, washrooms, storage lockers, computer access, internet access, email addresses and access. 2) Résumés, cover letters, job hunting help and support, dressing & grooming for job hunting and interviews, liaising with the business community to build bridges and a portfolio of work available, job referralsliaison and or out reach point for services available from governments, churches, community services, treatment facilities, recovery houses, addiction counselinga coordinating point among all the stakeholders, mediation between various stakeholders, recruiting of groups to provide goods, services, food, support and volunteers 3) leadership and advocacy on questions, problems, ideas and on issues in conflict, housing issues: desperate need for longer-term shelter beds; transitional housing; subsidized housing; BC housing issues liveable social assistance levels – $850.00; lobbying local MLAs John van Dongen and Mike de Jong on assistance levels, grants and funding for programs to address the needs to reduce homelessness. working with our local MP Ed Fast to secure federal funding not just on the homeless issues but from funds for issues affecting the homeless such as employment, education, training, wage subsidies out reach to those who cannot seek out services, employment, housing, medical treatment, mental health help etc. on their own.

This is only a beginning list of services and goals because it is my intention the centre always be a work-in-progress. That it be constantly experimenting, adjusting, adding and (were necessary) dropping offerings, always changing always flexible. Part of the centre’s gestalt would be that it will show leadership on other pressing needs such as the need for a longer-term shelter, more 2nd stage housing modeled on the Supported Independent or for reform of the provincial social ‘assistance’ system.

Based upon my own up close and personal experiences it is my opinion that a centre of this type is the most effective and efficient way to begin to address the many varied needs of the (extremely varied) homeless community. It will provide a focal point to co-ordinate and facilitate services. In the course of being homeless I have come into contact with many good people. To some of them it would provide an ideal job, their skills, education, experiences and personalities making them suitable to help accomplish the centre’s goals. For others the centre would be an anchor point for them to fan out from in reaching out to those on the streets not yet ready to come to the centre and start their journey off of the streets. Thus, when they are ready, someone is in contact and there to help and guide them in starting their journey, with the centre and its resources there to provide support and other needs. Still others feed and clothe the homeless. The centre would provide co-ordination with these people and groups to ensure that we maximize the benefits to the homeless from the food, bedding and clothing provided. The centre would also be reaching out to others to fill the gaps of the unmet needs

.It may be ambitious but … the Churches, the volunteers, the business community and the citizens of Abbotsford on board and get them involved, we can accomplish this. In addition, with the community solidly involved we can draw in the city, provincial and federal governments to do their part in addressing these needs.It may not be easy; it may not be smooth or neat and tidy.

It will require and demand vision, hard work, passion and stubbornness – but it can be done.