ANOTHER GREGOR SHELTER OPENS
Oldtown News
Vancouver, BC
ANOTHER GREGOR SHELTER OPENS
Last night, I along with Georgia Straight news reporter, Carlito Pablo and Downtown Eastside seniors activist, Audrey LaFerriere, visited Gregor's new shelter on Central street. This shelter is located in the industrial False Creek flats side of the City, just off Main and Terminal streets.
Like Gregor's other shelters this one is also located in an decrepit warehouse. When walking up to the shelter you can see the mold on the outside of the building. Many of the windows have heavy plywood coverings.
Upon arrival at the shelter, we introduced ourselves and the staff were warm and friendly. At the time we arrived just after 8pm, according to staff, about 60 people had arrived to be sheltered.
Audrey, Carlito and myself stayed for two hours chatting with the guests and asking questions of staff.
I learned that Gregor''s latest shelter (there are now three) opens at 6pm and closes at 10am. The sheltered are provided a hot meal which is catered by the Potluck and the food is kept in steam trays.
Although the Mayor's HEAT committee has been sending out propaganda saying they have created 200 shelter beds, this is a misnomer as in actuality what they are providing is floor space.
None of the shelters I've visited have actual beds.
Staff articulated that that there are five staff per shift and there are three shifts. Staff are unionized. Staff don't really interact with the sheltered except to serve them food and have them sign in at the front entrance. No identification is required for entry.
When we left close to 10 pm, there were about 63 guests in for the night. Although this is by far the largest of Gregor's shelters, it can hold 100 people in one big room, since opening four days previous, they haven't come near the 100 person capacity.
It's interesting to note that there is a staff ratio of one staff per four sheltered guests.
Speaking with a number of the sheltered, they all share they have been using the shelter system for quite some time.
One gentleman I spoke with named Oliver is only 28 years of age. Oliver hails from Ottawa where he has family. He has been in Vancouver since age 18. Oliver is very well kept, personable and he works in construction and is trying to get his drinking and drug use under control. He shared with me that even though today was his payday, instead of going out drinking, he instead purchased some underwear, slacks and a few shirts. Like other homeless people, Oliver is living out of a backpack.
I spoke with an Aboriginal Tsimshian man from Terrace who has been using the shelter system for quite some time. He also accesses the various Aboriginal groups locally. He showed me his United Native Nations citizens card and was friendly and cordial. He and Oliver are both intelligent men.
What popped into my mind was this. If the sheltered are out looking for work during the day and in fact many of them do look for temporary work, they have nowhere to leave their belongings and this creates problems because if they hide their worldly possessions somewhere, they run the risk of losing everything they own. You are not allowed to leave anything behind in the shelters.
Gregor's shelters do not have showers and only supply basic sinks and toilets. In his new shelter there are 4 toilets for men and one for women. I looked in the women's washroom and saw that there is no mirror so in the morning, you are not given any opportunity to properly groom yourself. In the men's there are no mirrors either so guys in the shelter can't even shave or properly comb their hair in order to look presentable when going out looking for work.
It needs pointing out that Gregor's shelters antied up $1.5 million for 200 floor spaces for three months duration. According to my calculation that is $100 per day to provide a shelteree basic floor space.
I am hoping that my readers begin to see something terribly wrong with the above picture?
To put everything into proper perspective taxpayers are shelling out $2,800.00 per month per person to be sheltered on a floor and that is only floor accommodation overnight.
Surely at the current cost of $2,800.00 per month per person we can do way better than just providing floor space?
Jamie Lee Hamilton
tricia_foxx@yahoo.com
posted by Jamie Lee Hamilton @ 10:35 AM
6 comments
6 Comments:
yes jamie another shelter has opened and there are no beds just floor space .Thank god for the floor space it is not perfect but its warm.As a person that has accessed shelters many time i have gratidute,you know you blog is an attack on Gregor its not about the homeless. I ask you what about the salvation army you also sleep on the floor there as well as many of the other shelters that have been around for years.I think you suffer from a lack of graditude.Then i see here that all comments must be approved threw you so i guess as a public figure you control and manipulate what poeple really have to say.
Hi Anonymous 9:06
I feel so sorry that you have such a low opinion of the homeless that you think they are only deserving of a floor.
And if you truly believe people should have gratitude for being offered a floor, perhaps you might want to seek out counselling.
Of course it is better that homeless people have SOMEplace to stay in the cold of winter, even if it is a bare floor. When it's a matter of life or death, a cold floor will do.
But to say that we should all be cheering Gregor for essentially WAREHOUSING the poor and homeless ignores the fact that this is only a band-aid, not a solution. And as Jamie Lee keeps pointing out, it's also not a very humane band-aid, either. Many dogs get better treatment than the homeless do at shelters.
This is also what they do in New York City. The NYPD rounds up the homeless, puts them on a bus to a rundown "shelter" under a bridge somewhere, and the local politicians claim "we solved the homeless problem" when in fact, they are simply out of sight. That's what is happening here, too.
And then there's the millions of tax money being thrown at providing floor space in run-down buildings. How can it cost the city more per month to provide a cold floor to someone for a few hours per day than it would to rent a luxury apartment? I'll tell you how: because someone is profiting from these Gregor shelters. Could it be the people who financed Gregor's campaign, U.S. corporations who make lots of money in the charity and poverty business?
So don't knock Jamie Lee's assessment of the situation. After all, she's out there to see first-hand how Gregor and his HEAT time are truly dealing with the homeless problem. When was the last time you visited a homeless shelter, Anon?
With a staff ratio of 4 per homeless guest, and with staff being unionized, it is easy to see where much of the money is going.
I am sure that if the city had simply procured warehouse space, volunteers to staff it would have come forth, thus maximizing the value. The remaining funds could have been put to better use, such as the basic grooming facilities Jamie Lee speaks about.
Let this be a warning to voters that, when they choose the NDP, they are choosing a party who caters to union interests first and foremost, regardless of the high ground they claim to occupy.
i was homeless and yes i have graditude for the floor space that i was offered i would have died in the cold.i don't think it is counselling i am in need of .i am not sying poeple should have graditutde for floor space what i am saying is i have graditute for the floor space.you twiste known to do on many issues
Anonymous 1:18pm
Have you ever thought you might be worthy of a home, medical treatment or something else which will might improve your life?
I'm not twisting anything here.
Homelessness is a sympton in the majority of cases of something else.
Treating the sympton is only a band-aid.
I prefer something better for people. You obviously don't and due to people like yourself, the bottom-feeders in society thrive on this. So sad.
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