Dear Editor,
I applaud Coun. Kash Heed for putting forward a motion calling for an immediate action plan to address the homelessness crisis in Richmond.
It is clear from the 2023 official Homeless Count final report that the current strategy is not effective.
The increase for all of Metro Vancouver was 32 per cent, in Richmond it was 91 per cent!
The full report can be accessed on the HSABC (Homelessness Services Association of BC) website, which also highlights the fact that the majority of people experiencing homelessness are in their home community - they are not somehow being imported or drifting into our community.
They grew up here and this is their home.
At a recent forum in Vancouver on homelessness and housing it also became clear that other municipalities are taking far more steps towards addressing this issue than Richmond is.
It’s easy to say the provincial and federal governments are to blame, and we do need support from them, but if other municipalities are able to implement measures to combat the problem, then Richmond should also be able to do so.
This is an issue that should be important to everyone – the compassionate souls who feel pain at witnessing fellow human beings struggling to survive or sometimes dying on the streets, to the securely housed who feel it’s a threat to their safety, to those worried about their property values being impacted, to those who just are offended by the esthetics, it affects all of us.
This call for action is just a first step but it’s an important one.
There was a large turnout at the general purposes meeting on Oct. 16 at Richmond City Hall.
People are paying attention and I truly hope our elected officials will make a real effort to take concrete steps towards a solution.
Donna Colpitts
Richmond
