People First Media program archive
Header

The social costs of policing Victoria’s poor

March 8th, 2012 | Posted by pfmarchive in uncategorized - (Comments Off on The social costs of policing Victoria’s poor)

A peer research project confirms that police have become the de facto first responders for drug and mental health issues

Cuts to health services and income supports for people living in poverty, including those with disabilities involving mental health and illicit drug use, have contributed to a situation where police now act as de facto “first responders” to health-related issues on city streets. The costs of policing poverty are high, and are not limited to the financial costs of spending more on approaches that do not work. (more…)

, , ,

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…)

, , ,

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…)

, , , ,

Bleak future for children in poverty

November 24th, 2011 | Posted by pfmarchive in uncategorized - (Comments Off on Bleak future for children in poverty)

A generation’s future could include more crime, drug use, teen pregnancies, poor health and failure at school and work

Could British Columbia be the very last province to enact a plan to fight poverty? That’s the question asked by BC Campaign 2000 in its latest report card on child poverty [opens to PDF]. Statistics show that the child poverty rate in B.C. rose from 14.5 percent in 2008 to 16.4 percent in 2009. The B.C. rate was only slightly lower than the Manitoba rate of 16.8 percent and was much higher than the national rate for all ten provinces of 14 percent. (more…)

,

Is new housing a ‘nightmare’?

September 22nd, 2011 | Posted by pfmarchive in uncategorized - (Comments Off on Is new housing a ‘nightmare’?)

Opponents to a new housing project for teenage girls say it must exist outside the DTES, away from pimps, predators

Atira Women’s Resource Society has opened an 18-unit single room accommodation facility for young women in the Downtown Eastside of Vancouver. The Society says it is responding to an urgent need for low barrier supportive housing for girls and young women who are homeless or in unsafe conditions.

But opposition to the move has been fierce and considerable. Most of the concern seems to focus on the location—and use of a building in the Downtown Eastside. But other concerns have been expressed about the process that led to the project’s opening—and plans for the way it will operate. (more…)

, , , ,

A unique invitation goes out

September 22nd, 2011 | Posted by pfmarchive in uncategorized - (Comments Off on A unique invitation goes out)

As Nanaimo social housing projects experience predictable, continuing opposition, citizens are invited down to the 7-10

The City of Nanaimo’s 2008 homelessness action plan [opens to PDF] estimated there were anywhere from two to three hundred individuals sleeping outside or in their vehicles or makeshift shelters—and hundreds more living in unsafe or unstable conditions and vulnerable to losing their housing and becoming homeless. The situation had generated considerable concern for Nanaimo residents, government agencies, service providers and elected officials and led to a general recognition of the need for a collective response. (more…)

, , ,