Homelessness is at a crisis point, and we need a system that grants safety and dignity to all. Not everyone fits
into existing social programs or shelter systems, but everyone needs a place where they can rebuild their life,
sleep in safety, store a bike and a few posessions, and have access to basic sanitation so that they can focus on
treatment of mental health, addiction or any other malady, and get back into society.
We need to ensure that so long as people are not committing crimes, they can have access to a space of their own.
It doesn't need to be large or expensive, just big enough for a bed, a woodstove, and a bike.
We need to look at systems which have worked well in other cities, and learn from their successes and mistakes.
Cities such as Seattle are building small villages of tiny shelters, using spaces such as church parking lots or
underused park space, but we need to ensure that there is adequate garbage collection and clean-up, as well as
sanitation, so that all residents of the city can benefit.
To discourage migration from other communities, I propose:
- Tracking the percentage of homeless in our community vs provincial standard
- If have a higher percentage than average, we would obtain provincial or federal funding
- Work with other communities to ensure they have similar standards
I will always respect every tax dollar used, and think outside the box to get shelters built, such as
- Having architecture and engineering students compete for designs
- Allowing current tenants to help with new designs
- Giving flexibility to designers to use materials at-hand
- Using high school carpentry programs to build shelters
- Having art students and local artists paint and decorate
I am convinced that we can give each person a place to be, while keeping use of tax dollars at a minimum.
