Deadline to dismantle Topaz Park, Pandora Ave homeless camps in Victoria moved to May 20

The provincial government has extended the deadline for dismantling the Topaz Park and Pandora Ave encampments to May 20 after setting the original deadline at May 9.

In a statement released on Friday, Minister of Social Development and Poverty Reduction Shane Simpson said it is clear that more time is needed to make sure everyone living in the City of Victoria encampments could move into safe temporary accommodations.

See also: Homeless people at Victoria, Vancouver encampments will be moved to shelters by May 9

“No one will be asked to leave these encampments without being offered a suitable temporary housing option,” said Simpson.

According to Simpson, the non profit service providers operating shelter sites in Victoria have advised BC Housing and the Ministry that they needed more time to “best prepare accommodations and their staff in order to be able to welcome their guests,” which is why the deadline has been extended.

There are still around 250 unsheltered people living at Topaz Park and along Pandora Ave who need to be offered suitable housing options before the encampments are shut down.

Simpson says that BC Housing has assured the Ministry that there will be more than enough housing options for all the remaining occupants of the encampments.

Meanwhile those who living in the homeless encampment at Vancouver’s Oppenheimer Park have all been offered housing by the Ministry, but not all have taken those options. Regardless, the park will be dismantled after 6 p.m. this evening.

“We’re still hopeful that they’ll take that offer up this afternoon, but we’ve been very clear to people that they will need to leave the site because the park will close up,” said Simpson in a briefing on Friday.

According to the province, a total of 320 unsheltered people at encampments in Victoria and Vancouver have been relocated to temporary shelters as of May 7.

On Thursday, BC Housing stated that 100 of people living in Topaz Park and along Pandora Ave have thus far been relocated to shelters.

In Victoria, BC Housing has been leasing hotel rooms for unsheltered people to safely isolate in.

Hotels were identified as temporary shelter options for homeless people during the COVID-19 pandemic as they are currently empty in most B.C. cities due to travel restrictions.

Earlier this week, Save-On-Foods-Memorial Centre in Victoria was acquired and can provide 45 shelter spaces to accommodate couples and groups of people who wish to stay together, where possible.

Transfer to shelter spaces is referrals-only, meaning BC Housing, its non-profit partners, and health authorities choose who goes to which unit and when.

At each shelter, meals and cleaning services are provided daily, and staff are available on site to provide specific supports as needed by individuals.

Staff also monitor people going in and out of the hotel buildings and prevent guests from entering the buildings.

Future concerns

These interim housing spaces at hotels are being rented by BC Housing for a period of three to six months.

Once that period of time is over, the province will work to acquire permanent supportive housing units to try and ensure that people do not return to homelessness after the pandemic.

To that end, BC Housing will be looking at acquiring some of the hotels and motels that are currently being leased for long term use to shelter homeless populations.

Authorities are also looking at accelerating the construction of temporary modular housing units at locations across B.C.