I guess that a good start for the homeless problem in PG would be to have Vancouver quit giving its homeless one-way bus tickets to PG. Other small communities around BC would appreciate an end to this practice as well. What a cynical way to clean up the streets of Vancouver for the Olmpics. What is next? Round up the 'Homeless' and put them in camps [stalags]?

Im pretty sure this is an urban legend. But really who the hell is going to be homeless in PG vs Van? Waaaaay less street traffic to panhandle and 30 below!? Homeless are dying on the streets of Van at minus 2!

The definition of truth is that if the majority of people in a room or on a blog agree or do not disagree with a post identifying a "truth", it is the truth.

It is a very democratic process. No proof needed.

Like many issues this one is more complex than first thoughts indicate.

Why are people homeless? Can they not afford housing, do they prefer or are forced to spend their money on other needs or desires.

As local governments pay the cost for people to be on welfare, it makes a lot of sense to send them to a different community, that way you save the cost, however at the cost of the community you send them too. With winter coming on, I think we could easily justify giving these people bus tickets to Vancouver or Victoria to provide a nicer place for the winter. However it does not address the issue at all.

Much as driving the ladies of the night, out of the downtown, and into the Miller- Connaught, did not solve the issue. The real issues have to do with why they were on the street to start with, why is there a demand for their services. Legal brothels like Vegas might be a option, but would require changes in legislation at provincial and national levels. More likely a network to help the girls get off drugs, and out from under their pimps might be the solution. Then we have to just deal with the horny men looking to pick them up. But I am getting off topic.

Why has housing becoming unaffordable, certainly house prices have skyrocketed over the last 30 to 40 years, when I see vacant lots selling for over $100,000 I have to question how anyone can afford a lot with a house installed. Do we need more smaller affordable housing, do we need to split up those $100,000 dollar lots into 6 $20,000 lots and build row housing like in London, where row housing is the standard for middle incomes. Shared walls also reduce heat loss, and thus heating costs, and helps the environment, by lowering carbon footprint.

Is it the fact people don’t make enough money to afford housing, working for minimum wage, you need about 4 flatmates to afford to rent a 3 bedroom house down in the VLA. I think we have to raise the minimum wage, as currently there are huge financial benefits to having a couple of kids and sitting at home collecting welfare. In my opinion, those who are not working should not enjoy a higher standard of living than those who do; it just sends the wrong message to people.

Are people spending their money on things, other than housing? Obviously on very low incomes, food, clothing, transportation, and housing all fight for your income. If you have medical problems, or special needs, the cost of treatment, and facilities may gobble up income, surprisingly there is a lot not covered by medical. More often we think of alcohol and drugs as being the issue, and perhaps it is a correct assessment. But we must attack the issues that force people to spend their money, so that housing becomes secondary. Better medical support for conditions that prevent working or cause cash drains on individuals, living wages for low incomes, and treatment programs and policing end the cycle of drug use.

Have the homeless build their own homes.

Chris,

your a smart one.

Vdesign, your suppose to be resting not on the blog sites. your comments are correct. Its hard to believe that housing prices in Prince George is unaffordable. Since 1982 to 2002, the houses were generally being sold at less than invested costs. This being the cost of land and cost of building the house. Thus, there was not too many spec houses being built. Thus I would have to say, that people who has been renting for twenty years. well, you forgot to pull your head out of the sand.

Meanwhile for all those twenty five year old couples, who just went out and bought a 400k house with 20k down, during 2007 and 2008, Well, you owe more than what the house is worth. So why do these young couple need such a big house, is it to show off to their friends that they can keep up to the Jones. Why not jump into a 200k house, wait for the market to recover a bit, and then make a move on the bigger home, you end up with more equity.

Anyway, that is a old mans rant.

I am one of the people that still like to shop downtown,partly because I live in the bowl. I would like to tell you what happened today about 2 o'clock. I was shopping at a consignment store on 3rd ave. across from the Nothern Hardware. An older Native fellow was sitting out side when a heavyset blond haired guy with shorts on came up to him and said to him "give me some money " until the Native fellow got out his wallet and gave him I guess some money and then they both disappeared . What was that all about?? Ten min. later a Native woman about 40 years old in the same area started yelling very loud, F--- you over and over at some Guy she appeared to be with. The consigment store is moving. I then drove down George St. where there are Homeless types everywhere, it looks like a lot of new faces. I think it would help to move the Native Health Center to a different spot, like the Native Friendship Center and close down the Fire Pit Coffee Shop for drug addicts. Eliminating Homelessness is one thing but escallating Homelessness is something else. Prince George can't take any more in, our downtown is destroyed . I would rather see my money go to some low income housing for couples that can hardly survive from payday to payday. I am against this big so called Wellness center, M.K.passion. Walk the Walk People and you will see how bad it is.

If you don't work, you don't eat. So, I suggest that all of the bleeding hearts on government payroll find ways to put all these people to work for their keep. If they can walk and talk, they can pick up garbage, sweep sidewalks, chop wood, shovel show, and make an effort to look after the community that looks after them. Give every person on the dole a block of the city to care for. If they don't do their part, we don't have to do ours. Period.

Chester, that is archaic (sic).


Not saying its a bad thing.

Homelessness is the condition and social category of people who lack housing, because they cannot afford, or are otherwise unable to maintain, regular, safe, and adequate shelter. The term "homelessness" may also include people whose primary nighttime residence is in a homeless shelter, in an institution that provides a temporary residence for individuals intended to be institutionalized, or in a public or private place not designed for use as a regular sleeping accommodation for human beings..........

A very small number of people choose to be homeless



HELLO PRINCE GEORGE VANCOUVER CALLING

I take exception to the fact that a few of our homeless may have been given a oneway ticket home.It sounds as if the only homeless we have might have come from your fair city. Believe it or not we have a migration from all across this province and for that matter the whole country. The homeless situation here in Vancouver is out of control most of the victems have a few struggles with poverty addiction or mental challenges.The real problem comes when our support services cater to the every need of of a person with addiction problems.

Addiction, violence, civil liberties,crack cocaine, poverty, 2010 Olympics, drugs, prostitution, heroin, homelessness; and their impact on Vancouver's Black Eye, The Downtown Eastside.

More than 2 million syringes are handed out free every year. Clean mouthpieces for crack pipes are provided at taxpayers’ expense. Around 4,000 opiate addicts get prescription methadone. Thousands come to the injection site every year.

addiction is a state in which the body relies on a substance for normal functioning and develops physical dependence, as in drug addiction. When the drug or substance on which someone is dependent is suddenly removed, it will cause withdrawal, a characteristic set of signs and symptoms. Addiction is generally associated with increased drug tolerance common usage of the term addiction has spread to include psychological dependence. In this context, the term is used in drug addiction and substance abuse problems


Impelled by the horror show of the Downtown East Side, prodded by activists and convinced by reams of academic studies, the police and city government have agreed to provide hard drug users with their paraphernalia, a place to use it and even, for a few, the drugs themselves.

The Harsh Reality of Drug Addiction

Not for the faint-hearted, this video is graphic and shocking and shows the depths of depravity that the human soul can descend to.

After 11 months of sobriety from cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine and other drugs this individuals mental state has sunk to an almost animal-like existence.

http://www.2010homelesschampions.ca/reality_of_drug_addiction.htm

This website is dedicated to telling the stories of the unfortunate individuals living in the Downtown Eastside of Vancouver in the hope that awareness of this problem will spur people to get involved, to let all levels of government know that something has to be done to alleviate this misery rooted in addiction, homelessness and depravity. To point the way to recovery from addiction, which we believe is the root of most of this situation. With the 2010 Olympics coming to Vancouver it is our mandate to record the transition and the extreme changes that are even now occurring and will continue to unfold in the Downtown Eastside.

http://www.2010homelesschampions.ca

I don't see anything wrong with making people work for the welfare or at least take some responsibility, maybe not short term welfare recipients, but long term ones - those longer that 6 months. They should have to report somewhere - school, job, volunteer work. Life isn't a free ride.
The other issue is begging. I think it all panhandling should be illegal. All help for the street people should go thru agencies, like soup kitchens, shelters, salvation army.
If it wasn't profitable for beggars to beg, then they wouldn't be doing it.

VAncouver just to let you know we have more than out share of Homelessness, people from all over Canada are comming here for our great services enough is enough.

Work for welfare? Willy Woodenshoes tried to float that trial balloon many years ago. Turned out to be a lead balloon. He is history and so is his theory. Oh yeah, Vander Zam said he didn't like marketing boards. He did nothing about them. George Bush senior said he didn't like broccoli. We all have our dislikes, don't we?

Why was a big Nothern Health Van parked today out side the Fire Pit Coffee place?Is Nothern Health running a coffee shop now?