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Low-barrier housing project stalls

June 13th, 2012 | Posted by pfmarchive in uncategorized - (Comments Off on Low-barrier housing project stalls)

Unexpected land negotiations with City of Nanaimo provide ‘challenges’ for housing organizations

A new low-barrier housing project is on ice in central Nanaimo as operators face unexpected land negotiations with the City of Nanaimo…. B.C. Housing announced last November that [Nanaimo Affordable Housing] and its partners, the Haven Society and Columbian Centre Society, would operate more than 35 low-barrier housing units on Dufferin Crescent. The project is part of the province’s $36.5-million funding commitment to see 165 housing units built in Nanaimo for the homeless and mentally ill.  Read the rest of this story at Nanaimo Daily News.

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Testing housing first for chronic alcoholics

February 16th, 2012 | Posted by pfmarchive in uncategorized - (Comments Off on Testing housing first for chronic alcoholics)

A study shows that nonabstinence-based housing does not enable alcohol use, but actually decreases it

A controversial project using a housing-first approach with chronically alcoholic homeless people in Seattle has been shown to decrease overall alcohol consumption levels. The program, which is funded by the City of Seattle, allows homeless shelter residents to continue to use alcohol, with an overall goal to reduce both alcohol use and alcohol-related problems. Now a study has found that the approach results in “across-the-board decreases in alcohol consumption and problems”, according to lead researcher Susan Collins. (more…)

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Lone MLA takes up ‘welfare challenge’

January 26th, 2012 | Posted by pfmarchive in uncategorized - (0 Comments)

Jagrup Brar, nearing the end of his money, and living in SRO on the Downtown Eastside, is learning about poverty

On May 25, 2011, Jagrup Brar, MLA for Surrey-Fleetwood, B.C., received a letter from a group called Raise the Rates entitled ‘MLA Welfare Challenge’. The coalition, which is concerned about poverty, inequality and homelessness in British Columbia, was inviting the province’s MLAs to spend a month living on what an individual would receive on income assistance—$610 a month. Fast forward to January 2012, and Jagrup Brar—the only MLA who signed up for the month-long Welfare Challenge—has recently settled into an SRO living space on the Downtown Eastside of Vancouver, and is running low on money. He’s noticeably thinner than he was at the start of the month. Jagrup Brar is blogging about his experiences online. (more…)

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Social housing providers in place

December 8th, 2011 | Posted by pfmarchive in uncategorized - (0 Comments)

Non-profit groups are named as operators for two new social housing projects in Nanaimo, but will controversy fade?

Pacifica Housing and Nanaimo Affordable Housing Society, in partnership with Columbian Centre Society and Haven Society, have been selected as the successful non-profit providers to develop, manage and operate two new supportive housing developments for those who are homeless or at risk of homelessness in Nanaimo. The announcement came from B.C. Housing on November 30th. (more…)

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Fighting homelessness on many fronts

December 1st, 2011 | Posted by pfmarchive in uncategorized - (0 Comments)

Judy Graves’ next fight will be to ensure that homeless people actually get into the housing that is built for them

The City of Vancouver’s advocate for homeless people, Judy Graves, recently warned the provincial government of the consequences of not providing sufficient emergency shelter beds in the face of worsening weather and ongoing need. Housing Minister Rich Coleman has now confirmed that the province will pay for a new 42-bed shelter in the Marble Arch Hotel on Richards Street. Ongoing news stories and comments from the city and the province suggest a tug-of-war has been going on with regard to homelessness, shelters, and money for dealing with continuing needs. All that new social housing must negate the need for emergency shelters—or so the province’s thinking seems to suggest. (more…)

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Can empathy be taught?

November 10th, 2011 | Posted by pfmarchive in uncategorized - (Comments Off on Can empathy be taught?)

Empathy, compassion, understanding, awareness—what happens when we try to put ourselves into others’ shoes?

Empathy is a relatively common word, but it’s also a concept that is poorly understood. It’s sometimes confused with sympathy, pity, or feeling sorry for someone. According to Edith Stein, a German phenomenologist, empathy can be facilitated. It also can be interrupted and blocked, but it cannot be forced to occur. When empathy occurs, we find ourselves experiencing it, rather than directly causing it to happen. [Reference here in PDF] (more…)

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