Victoria Council has directed city staff to look into how to end illegal daytime temporary sheltering in parks and on city streets, sidewalks and boulevards.
Councillor Stephen Hammond successfully requested the late-item motion be added to today's agenda in the aftermath of a high-profile assault of a paramedic on the 900-block of Pandora last week. During today's debate, he raised his concern that the block has become unsafe for many people seeking services in the area.
Mayor Marianne Alto supported the motion, but she suggested that it would not significantly change the city's approach to this issue.
"Ultimately, it is up to us to determine what we [will] do with this," she commented. "This is simply a statement of intent. It is a statement of intent that duplicates work that is already underway, but says to staff and council: 'do more, do it better, do it faster.'"
Alto added that the public may not be aware of what the city is already doing to address illegal sheltering behind the scenes, and that making an impact is more important than appearing to do so.
Originally, the motion's first recommendation was to "direct the City Manager to work with her senior leadership to put an end to illegal daytime temporary sheltering." After council extensively discussed potential changes to the motion, it decided to change the wording of that recommendation to "continue to put an end."
Hammond, along with Councilor Marg Gardiner, opposed this change.
"I don't want to continue to end, I want to put an end to the illegal daytime temporary sheltering in Victoria parks and on city streets. And I don't think that's unrealistic," Hammond said before the vote on the amendment.
Near the end of council's discussion, Councillor Susan Kim cited concerns that the motion could be used to harm unhoused people.
"I witnessed someone today have their mobility device impounded. And I have no idea how they will go get their device back without that device," she said while describing her concerns.
In the end, the majority of council voted in favour of passing the modified motion, with only Councillor Kim in opposition.