This is the number one issue we get emails and calls on. People do not feel safe in many parts of town and we have seen a large increase in violent crimes. Some of these crimes can be directly attributed to the mental health and drug crisis. People are stealing to feed their drug habits and people with mental health issues are not getting the supports they need. This is an issue which divides people in the community as many believe harm reduction and enabling drug use has contributed to the rise in crime while others believe these policies do not go far enough. One thing everyone agrees upon is we need to have an increase in mental health and addiction professionals which can be accessed in a timely manner and it needs to be affordable. In my opinion there is no one size fits all model. Some people do very well with minimal supports and 12 step programs, others need residential programs, and others need secured complex care. I believe another issue is the lack of family Drs. Again this is a Provincial area but we can look at ways of making it more attractive for Drs. to set up practice here. Many people would say the high cost of housing and rentals are there number one issue. The City is on track to have a record year for the number of building permits issued. We have seen an increase in rental units going up. There have been partnerships with Nanaimo Affordable Housing, BC Housing, and Community Living to bring more inventory to the table.

we need to work in closer union with our provincial counterparts to battle this problem.

For decades the province hasn’t been contributing to Mental health services, Addiction treatment and housing. The problems we are experiencing now is the result of that lack of funding and foresight of previous provincial governments. The present government is doing a much better job at providing those missing services but it’s just not enough to deal with the issues we are facing here and around the province. Council embarked on an 18 month process call the Health and Housing task force that came up with the Health and Housing Action Plan and has provided funding to see that plan actioned. The city is spending millions of dollars to help deal with this crisis and the effects on our community and in the downtown area. But without help from the Federal Government and the Province it’s just too much for Nanaimo to take on our own.

I would say it is one of the biggest challenges Nanaimo faces.

People must be allowed shelter and basic right of life. Campsites with army tents and kitchens showers etc would remove most from the downtown.and prepare them for work opportunities.many people facing unaffordable rents are just a step from. The street. Once all have safe shelter the social workers and addiction people can come and do their job. There is crime everywhere and the drug lord lives in a fancy house

I believe our biggest challenges are climate change, affordability and homelessness and related issues.

These challenges, combined with the lack of affordable housing, extreme increase in rental prices, and the severe doctor shortage, are certainly among the biggest issues Nanaimo is currently facing.

In my entire life, this is the worst I have seen these problems in Nanaimo. It is affecting the sense of safety for everyone. It is unacceptable what is happening, and all levels of government, including the City of Nanaimo, must take more leadership and commitment to solve this crisis.

I have served on several boards on a volunteer basis assisting with homelessness and drug addiction services, including Teen Challenge. I assist clients on a daily basis dealing with these issues. Drug and mental health challenges require a serious response from the City.

We need to address this issue by working not only with the Provincial government but with people on a one on one basis. This is a complex issue but I would like to see all the entities involved including non profits to work on removing the customers of the drug dealers one by one by specialized individual care to those who are looking for help

We can never be a truly thriving and vibrant community while we have people living on the streets in the conditions they currently do. Economic development, Tourism, local business: all depend on our ability to manage this wicked problem.
The significant work we have undertaken through the Health and Housing Task Force, coupled with dedicated efforts of our non-profit community and Island Health, have allowed us to problem solve across sectors and partner in new ways.
Even with that work, the crisis is growing and this is the topic I receive the most resident emails on.

As Councillor I will strongly encourage the Courts emphasize public safety and deterrence in sentencing, especially for chronic offenders.
Strongly encourage senior governments to include community services penalties to all breaches of their laws, as well as updating all penalties to modern standards to better ensure deterrence and accountability. Provincial health needs to make safe housing available to those in mental and drug distress. My appointment to the BC Premier’s Task Force on Mental Health and Addictions gave me detailed knowledge of the homeless crisis.

It would be incorrect to classify the referenced issues as the biggest challenges, but certainly, the challenges are there and require swift and appropriate engagement. The negative realities must meet positive actions to help individuals who need it.

These problems cannot be solved by Nanaimo. They are province and even country-wide issues that need the application of resources by senior governments.

The drug toxicity crisis, along with the mental health and addictions crisis are definitely high on the list. Access to affordable/accessible housing, food and income insecurity, the climate crisis, community incident management, access to health and wellness care, and emergency preparedness are equally pressing.

We have not yet been as catastrophically affected by natural disaster such as Lytton during the heat dome, Medicine Hat, Ontario and east coast communities with wind storms, hurricanes, tornadoes, flooding, and most recently Fiona. Our turn may come. It is often the most vulnerable members of society who are most greatly impacted. A little planning goes along way.

I strongly agree. The feedback we receive from citizens is this is the number one issue for many. We know and understand that as a municipality we are limited in our capacity and jurisdiction, however we have advocated loud and strong to senior governments to make this their number one priority. The Mayor sits at the Mayors Leaders Table tackling the challenges of this crisis. Many are calling for complex care. If you are a harm to yourself and a harm to society we should be providing serious care until able to be part of society.

The current situation with homelessness, mental health, addiction, toxic drug poisonings, criminality and social disorder are the worst I have ever witnessed in Nanaimo. Senior levels of government need to take more responsibility for these issues because they fall under their jurisdiction.

The federal government needs to enact criminal justice reform and create an alternative justice system. With reform, people with mental health and addiction challenges who are involved in criminality and social disorder would have a choice between prison or treatment, with a path and plan to improve their lives. This kind of model has worked in countries such as Portugal which has seen a reduction in drug abuse and associated criminality.

The provincial government declared that the opioid crisis was a public health emergency in 2016, but they have not been acting like it’s an emergency. The province is responsible for health care, including mental health and addiction, which are health issues. They need to be providing the necessary services and treatment beds.

The provincial and federal governments share responsibility for affordable housing and they need to be providing the City of Nanaimo with adequate resources to deal with our affordable housing crisis.

I believe that drug addiction is a worst disease of this century. My family has been personally affected by the death of a loved one from drug toxicity and it was devastating. This is no easy fix but I do believe we can make some small wins. Obviously we need to advocate more with the Provincial Government to help those unable to help themselves, get these drugs off our city streets as much as possible and educate the our future generation on the dangers of this disease. We need more rehab centres that provide a longer term stay to help addicts stay clean until they are well enough to go out on their own.

I would rate several issues that are both leading as well as intertwined. They include homelessness, crime along with drug toxicity mental health and addiction. A broader scope and plan that involves both provincial and federal resources and funding is imperative to slow this down and improve the situation. Nanaimo cannot do it alone, but Nanaimo has to work collaboratively with other levels of government to work on a plan. Explore other communities that are getting a handle on this. What are they doing that works and what doesn’t work.

Safety is the biggest concern but this correlates. People who are heavily addicted and cause harm to others and themselves need to know they are responsible for their actions. Citizens felt for a long time that there are no repercussions to harmful actions. The homeless have rules, the city has rules, the government has rules. The issue is making sure injustice is not created. There is a balance.

Yes, yes and yes.

There is no doubt in my mind that this is the biggest challenge faced by our city currently. But it is important to recognize that the same problem is being seem in virtually every community. Public safety and social disorder are main concerns, and this is usually related to the homeless we see on the street with mental health/addiction problems.

I believe efforts for more mental health facilities and outreach programs would greatly improve the lives of Nanaimo citizens.

100% Agreed. Nanaimo, along with other Progressive cities like San Francisco, Portland, Chicago, Los Angeles, Seattle are all facing unprecedented increases in Homelessness, Substance Abuse, and subsequently Crime.

It is categorically unacceptable for Law Abiding, Tax Paying, Peaceful situations to have to deal with the lawlessness that results from “Soft On Crime” policies that make Progressive politicians feel good about themselves.

If I am on City Council, I will push for what I call “Tough Love Nanaimo”. Canadians are compassionate people. Of course we want to help those who are less fortunate than ourselves. But the safety and security of ourselves and that of our loved one is paramount, as it absolutely should be.

If I am on Council, the Safety and Security of Law Abiding Citizens will be my Priority. Period. As so MANY people in the Lower Mainland keep pointing out, the closing of Riverside Hospital, and subsequent release of countless Mental Health patients into inadequate services is one of the main causes of this crisis.

I would advocate to the Province, to reopen Riverside, improved, with more humane, and modern Psychiatric practices, but people with Mental Health issues cannot be provoking, or assaulting Law Abiding Citizens.

The city does not have the money to tackle this issue nor is it one of the city’s core responsibilities as outlined in the Community Charter and Local Government Act. We have Island Health who receive Provincial dollars to provide these services. We have no jurisdiction over the Courts who let chronic offenders, who are responsible for many of the crimes back out into the streets. We work in collaboration with BC Housing and provide land for supportive and affordable housing. We have identified City owned property which can be used for supportive housing and provided land to BC Housing. Every million dollars in expenditure is a 1 percent tax increase, Just to build one housing complex would be a large tax increase above and beyond what we are already taxed. Unlike some other Provinces the only way a City in BC can generate revenue is through taxation. The City has hired 12 Community Safety Officers whose role will be to work with those on our streets and they will be helping connect them to services and family. This initiative cost 2.4 million. The City budgeted for 15 more police officers over 5 years and 4 more bike patrol officers this year.

Working with the province and our local MLAs, funding can be sought to resource services in our various communities throughout the city.

The responsibility for addressing the root causes of social disorder lies with the Province. A recently speech by the Premier said basically that. The City of Nanaimo doesn’t have the funds nor the capacity to provide Drug Treatment and mental health services. What we can do is advocate to the province using data from the Health and Housing Action Plan and the organization that was setup because of that plan to get more services to Nanaimo from the province. Nanaimo is not getting it’s fair share of services and funding to deal with these issues and a future council needs to push more than they already have which is extensive. The City of Nanaimo must let the Province and Feds know the need in our city and demand the services that we desperately need. The City of Nanaimo can also provide help to local agencies such as funding to keep shelters open, funds to help feed the homeless and funds to help augment the work that the province is doing. The root causes of the crisis is lack of funding for health services, lack of funding for housing and poverty.

Yes, if we don’t deal with the roots of the problems, and provide the services and support to do so, we will continue in the cycle of enabling behaviours, which has shown not to be a successful solution.

The answer to drugs is not more harsh police treatment. These people are sick and must be treated as such

We need to lobby senior government for the policies and funding we need and use the levers available to lcal government to act. I believe in safe supply, safe use sites, safe housing integrated with addicition and mental health services.

I personally think the term “social disorder” is not helpful or constructive and it’s being used as a sort of dog whistle. If what the city really means is the number of people who are currently unhoused, and who are suffering greatly due to unaddressed mental health issues, trauma, active addictions, and the lack of shelter spaces and supportive housing, then just say that. There’s a separate issue at play here that involves a criminal element – a small number of prolific offenders, organized crime, and random acts of violence, but those issues are not necessarily related to the unhoused community, as many people living on the street are not violent or dangerous- they are sick and scared and they literally have nowhere else to go. So yes, we need to address all of these issues and stop trying to blame it all on unhoused people.

All levels must take a more proactive step in addressing the root causes of social disorder in Nanaimo. Senior levels of government have not responding adequately to the problem. The City of Nanaimo must be the loudest advocate for our community and hold senior levels of government to account.

The city and province have begun steps in the right direction, partnering to provide over 300 units of supportive housing for those in need. Unfortunately, because of pandemic delays, only just over 50 units have been built. To be more proactive, the city has developed an arms-length agency this term, to help better coordinate the response to homelessness and get the 60 million dollars of investment needed to address the situation properly. Much more action is required. There are many aspects of the health and housing response that the city can take more leadership in going forward. We have a mechanism through the regional district to fund 40% of health infrastructure such as complex care housing. There is also more we can lead in terms of housing, better coordination between stakeholders, zoning, permitting and communications to improve the situation.

Yes

The City’s rightful role in addressing the root causes of social disorder via operations is through our Parks and Rec programming. Keeping kids healthy, well and connected is preventative medicine. This Council has accelerated a number of youth recreational amenities and continues to work with the school district on a number of heath focused initiatives.

The Systems Planning Organization, created in consultation with Island Health, the non-profit community, RCMP, Snuneymuxw and business sector, will provide advice and recommendations to Council on ways to increase our collective impact in this area.

Finally, the City is responsible for communicating our need to the levels of government responsible for health and housing. To that end, proactively addressing the root causes of social disorder means having a good working relationship and the willingness to speak truth to the province.

see previous answer. The prime responsibility for health services in Canada are the federal and provincial governments. Local governments have few resources for such social problems. That is why we must lobby the senior responsible govts to act.

Developing an understanding on the root causes is very important to affect and overcome negative cycles.

See my response to the previous question. I am amongst the leaders of Mayors of BC Cities that are pushing hard for new approaches and resources to address these troubling issues.

As per my platform, “developing a trauma-informed framework and integrated plans, organizing and mobilizing the right resources to deal with issues at their source through a restorative lens in collaboration with community and human service agencies” and “developing/expanding a team model for community policing including healthcare and mental health team members as is currently being adopted in many jurisdictions” will serve to break down some of these complex issues in more informed ways and tackle them piece by piece.

Having repeat offenders cycle through the system over and over tells me that we are not effectively managing their issues or ours as a community.

Municipalities have no jurisdiction for any type of health service, drug treatment of mental health. We were proactive with mental health and wellness calls and now have one of newer officers that specializes in wellness calls. We have also hired 12 CSO’s ( Community Safety Officers along with four RCMP Bike Patrol to help guide those living rough to the services that are provided. Overall this is a provincial mandate. We are doing our best with limited resources to address public safety and provide land for supportive housing. We can work with senior governments advocating for more services, but we cannot deliver ourselves.

Mental health and addiction are health issues and fall under the jurisdiction of the provincial government. The provincial government needs to provide proper funding for local addiction treatment and mental health facilities. The province also needs to provide support services for people who have managed to overcome addiction and/or stabilize their mental health challenges. The City of Nanaimo needs to lobby the provincial government for more support to address these issues.

The City of Nanaimo, and most other municipalities across BC and Canada, are bearing the brunt of the lack of services provided by senior levels of government. It forces communities like Nanaimo to be reactive rather than proactive. The city has funded additional bylaw enforcement and police services but this is a band-aid, not a solution to the problem. The new Community Safety Officer program is an improvement, but the program should be enhanced with additional outreach workers from the different agencies working with the unhoused and street-involved populations.

Yes, I strongly agree! We desperately need mental health services for those who are beyond helping themselves. We need a mental health/rehab center for people to stay at to get well. I’ve been told that many of the rehab centers in the region are for three month stays and then the people are sent back out to the streets. It is not enough. Depending on the age and level of illness we can’t discard people to the streets when they desperately want to get well. That’s where our Provincial leaders come in and we must advocate more with them.
Is there anything we can do? Yes, we can work with Island Health to have a medical van out in the community for our citizens most in need. This would give us the ability to assist those with health issues, ie feet care, small wound care. We have a medical van for the high schools, it works. We had a medical van during Covid, it worked. We can provide this now and we can get grants to cover the cost. We can even provide small “tiny houses” accommodations to keep them warm, dry and fed. We must do more.

Contributing factors to drug treatment and mental health services has been severely diminished over the last decade or so. A concerted effort by all agencies and levels of government, including municipal, is necessary to make a proactive and positive difference. Ignoring it to a great extent has not assisted the situation at all.

Yes! I promote and value mental health. This is a new age. We are not here to hide anymore. When you tell me your 6 months sober, I’m so proud. When you whisper to me that you too have an invisible disability and it’s from a stroke, I am touched from your strength to break out from the ‘hide our feelings’ mentality. The City of Nanaimo should take a more active approach to a drug treatment centre as the businesses that are taking charge are mostly non-profits. They are exceptional in their services, but as Mayor I’d like to get my hands on this more.

This issue is not owned by City of Nanaimo, however Council can constantly get to the nerves of province by lobbying in which ever sage legal way.

It is fine for Nanaimo to be proactive, but only within the limits of our civic mandate and jurisdiction, not to mention financial resources. Drug treatment and mental health services are the responsibility of the province. They must step up with more resources and funding. The city has indicated its willingness to be an active partner by providing land for treatment centres and supportive housing, but the province must build and staff them adequately. We can only continue to advocate strongly for that to happen.

I often ask myself why I turned out well, and the main reason is that I had a loving and stable domestic life. Also watching Star Trek throughout my upbringing was very helpful. Sadly, many people do not have the benefit of a stable and loving upbringing, and this is often compounded by Poverty and the subsequent temptation of Substance Abuse.

If we are going to speak about the “Root Cause” of the Social Disorder that is decimating Nanaimo, it is stability and security. Each Homeless person in Nanaimo must be interviewed and their Root Cause determined (Job Loss, Mental Health, Substance Abuse, Enjoy the Lifestyle). Then each person must be placed into the appropriate services and shelter. No more mixing people who are simply down on their luck with violent or criminal individuals.

I will push for “Tough Love Nanaimo”. If someone has Substance Abuse problems and they are in and out of Emergency for Overdosing, they will have to go into Rehab, or else they cannot stay in Nanaimo. If someone commits a Crime because of Substance Abuse, especially a Destructive or Violent one, they must go to jail, and Rehab. Nanaimo is for Law Abiding Citizens.

I believe the Community Safety officers are a step in the right direction and we need to see how well the program does and if successful look at expanding it to other parts of the City, We need to keep looking at other programs around the country and see if they would work in Nanaimo. We can continue to partner with Provincial agencies to deliver programs and housing. We have hired 19 more police officers, 4 new firefighters and new bylaw officers. We have sent letters to various Ministers advocating for treatment, more housing, and more Crown Counsels, as well as a push to deal with chronic offenders. We cannot just give up and say we have done eveything we need to continue to push government to act.

new ways can always be found … I don’t believe in a ‘I give up’ mentality. we just need to start thinking outside the box for a solution.

I disagree with that statement. We haven’t exhausted all ways to improve safety and security. Council has done a lot on this front, including 15 new police officers over 5 years, a new Police Bike team and now the Community Services Officers, equipment, and another clean team for downtown Nanaimo. But we can and will be doing more in the future.

Gaiting.green space does not stop crime. Poor citizens are also part of the city and MUST BE ALLOWED a PLACE to be where they can cook own food like other refugees in the world

In addition to the answer above, I think the Public Safety Officer initiative may offer a way to engage those in need to connect them to the appropriate service.

No, it hasn’t even begun to address the issue in a constructive way. Fences, hostile architecture, more fences, security guards, more RCMP and bylaw officers constantly moving unhoused people around from one spot to another… these are just band-aids and ineffectual stop-gap measures that do nothing to proactively help address the issue of safety and security. Frontline mental health services, addictions treatment and support programs available immediately upon request, more shelter spaces, accessible housing, alternative outdoor spaces for unhoused people to safely sleep without being harassed… these things would actually help.

Better coordination of a health, housing and community safety response could improve safety and security in the city. When we meet people’s basic needs for shelter and mental health support, everyone is safer. We rely on the province to provide housing, mental health and addiction services, and to run an effective criminal justice and corrections system. The council and the city also have tools to help improve safety and security. A good example is the Community Safety Officer program, that will see 12 uniformed safety officers patrolling downtown to help connect struggling individuals with services and liaise with businesses and the RCMP to ensure safety.

No. Instead of being a destination that is enjoyed, Nanaimo is a location that is passed through, feels unsafe for many residents, and lacks the vibrancy and attraction of other cities. While other cities like Kelowna have dramatically enhanced their downtown centres in recent years, Nanaimo has been left behind.

I would like to explore several proven techniques that have worked for other cities experiencing similar problems. New York was known for its issues until a “broken window policy” was adopted and really turned that city around.

We’re certainly working on it. We’ve funded additional police officers, completed a downtown safety and security plan, partnered with Community Policing to conduct neighbourhood safety audits, met multiple times with Ministers responsible for Public Safety and Health and created a new Community Safety Officer Program.

see previous answers Council has not effectively sought senior government action.

There are always ways to improve safety and security in the city, however the approach matters. Not all solutions are policing solutions. Solutions come in many forms. As councilor, I will work to identify the gaps.

I will never say that we should throw up our hands. But it is clearly not within the mandate nor the ability of a City of 100000 souls to resolve a problem that is not of our making.

There are so many different ways to deal with safety and security challenges. The first step is adopting a belief that there are novel ways to look at problems and resolve them.

A quote that has hung over my desk for the past 25 years is one from Albert Einstein “In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity.” We are only as limited as our imaginations.

We should always be exploring and implementing ways to improve safety and security throughout our City. We have used all resources available but should continue to be open to any new ideas that would support a safer city. We are all in this together.

There is always more that can be done. Giving up is not an option. We live in a beautiful community with a downtown core that has so much potential. The city should be enhancing the Community Safety Officer program to include outreach and health workers. We should be looking at different response models, such as the small groupings of sleeping cabins in Duncan. These sleeping cabin areas provide shelter to 10-12 individuals or couples. They are fenced to protect the residents and control the size of the encampment. There are portapotties, drinking water and cooking areas. Large encampments, like the ones we’ve seen in Nanaimo, are difficult to maintain and create conditions for social disorder. The small cabin communities in Duncan have been successful in sheltering unhoused people and are one viable temporary measure to address the current crisis.

The City of Nanaimo needs to lobby senior levels of government for more support to address the root causes of the public safety issues.

We can do more! We can provide more housing options such as the possibility of “tiny houses” to help those living on the streets. We need more security to prevent crime and we need to provide more medical care because people have no way of getting medical help unless they go to the hospital’s ER department.
There are some small wins that we can achieve in Nanaimo.
Over time, I would like to see more office buildings with residents living in the upper floors. More people living downtown in condo/apartments and above office floors means a more walkable community, more enjoyment of the area and more security. People living in close proximity to each other, watch out for each other. It has been proven in other urban centers.
It will take time but it’s worth working towards.

Exhausted is not acceptable. There are a variety of ways to continue to improve the safety and security of the city – there has to be. Other measures and resource allocations have to be explored. What have other cites had success with. What happened to our Volunteer Auxiliary RCMP that use to assist our current RCMP staff? It’s a program that has worked, been effective and has had minimal costs. What about community ambassadors to host our cities, both in our community and at our events. Having a presence in the public and in the public eye serves both sides.

Number one is they are trying. It’s not easy to do what they are doing. When something goes wrong, we blame them first. I would do the same. I wrote to the mayor many times being passionate from the news and what I seen downtown. And then I thought ‘what am I becoming by complaining?” Yes, I think I can do things differently and the first thing I learned is having a negative attitude doesn’t help. Negativity is an addiction.

Can not say 100% that city has exhausted.

Council needs to recognize that safety and security are priorities for our citizens. We have taken steps, including a commitment of increased RCMP, bike patrols, bylaw enforcement and community safety officers. But we must continue to brainstorm how we can better support our citizens, visitors, and businesses who are being negatively affected by social disorder. An ongoing examination of how our resouces are being used, and how bylaws could be employed more assertively, needs to happen.

Some of the more recent bylaws passed have greatly impacted the people of Nanaimo. Allowing for greater crime in the city.

Why are the Cities with far and away the WORST problems with Homelessness and Crime those run by Progressive leaning Politicians? Because they are Soft on Crime. Because they believe in Enabling people. Because they believe that Homeless people should be free to live their life as they see fit without others imposing their values on them.

This is NOT helping Homeless people. Homeless people are people who are struggling. They need a Hand Up, NOT a Hand Out. They need to be given the same degree of expectation of responsibility and adherence to the Social Contract as anyone else in Society.

The City of Nanaimo can HALT “Catch and Release” and similar approaches to dealing with Criminal Behavior. The City can empower our disillusioned Police Force with Bylaws that can be used to prosecute Criminals. Our Police can flood the BC Courts with cases that will force them to recognize that the Criminality in BC Cities is reaching intolerable levels.

Nanaimo needs to enact the “Broken Window Theory”. Small crimes need to be prosecuted, and a clear statement made to anyone engaging in any act of Criminality : You will be prosecuted. Nanaimo needs a Conservative approach to Crime.

There are so many tents within the City limits that it is not reasonable to be able to have them come down daily. People must remember the Supreme Court of BC ruled Cities must have designated parks for people to overnight in.We need to try and monitor the camps which we know are dangerous due to the use of propane tanks etc. and deal with those in the camps who are having a negative impact on the neighbourhoods and environment. I do not believe we should accept this as a long term solution as it is not viable. We saw what happened with tent city bringing more people to Nanaimo and no increases in supports.

tent encampments are only a bandage we need to do better

Nanaimo has only enough shelter for about 15% of our homeless population. I along with another councillor tried to get the city to build more 24/7 shelters based on the the Cowichan model however I couldn’t get enough members of council to agree to the costs. So the answer to the question is the conditions we are seeing now is the reality for now. If there is funding to provide 24/7 shelter place throughout the city the reality may change.

The City can be more aggressive in securing upper-level government funding to see a more rapid deployment of supportive and complex care housing.

Designated campsites on empty land with bathrooms showers etc that is the best answer. It is CRUEL to push people from place to place. EVERYONE HAS THE RIGHT TO AT LEAST A MINIMUM STANDARD OF LIVING

We need to make safe shelter spaces available through repurposing existing buildings and building new. We need to lobby senior government for the financial and healthcare resources to do this.

Given the severe lack of shelter spaces and supportive housing options, and the rapidly rising cost of rental housing, unfortunately we will continue to have a large number of unhoused citizens – some of whom have been unhoused for many years, and some of whom will have recently become homeless. We urgently need to address this crisis, but even with urgent action, people need to live somewhere in the meantime, and if the only option is a tent, then we need to make encampments as safe as possible, with access to running water, bathrooms, food, and services like mental health supports.

Tent encampments are a reality under the current conditions of housing inventory and available supports/services. This is unacceptable in an affluent country like Canada and Nanaimo residents should never accept this as being okay. Nanaimo residents should expect all levels of government to be working towards solutions to get people living on the streets into appropriate housing and care.

No. Tent encampments are not a sustainable solution to homelessness.

This is a complex issue, but I think Nanaimo should provide locations for camping overnight but at 7am the camps are to be taken down and removed daily with strict City bylaw and police enforcement.

Informal tent encampments are a reality with as many as 900 unhoused individuals in our community. In alignment with the Supreme Court of Canada ruling, the City designated certain parks as allowing overnight camping, with the understanding that tents must be cleared by 0900 every morning. Enforcing this is a massive challenge due to the scale of the problem, resulting in entrenched camps which are a hazard to the surrounding neighbourhoods and forests.

In a perfect world, BCHousing would lead the charge for providing temporary, managed and serviced encampments. The City explored the option of implementing such a service for a small number of our unhoused based on the Cowichan model, the cost of which was so prohibitive as to make it unrealistic. The idea of large scale encampments, run by BC Housing and supported by Island Health, based on the Cowichan model, has merit.

Emergency housing with security monitored is available from churches and religious organizations, as well as, closed schools and public buildings. Longer term for future needs the City of Nanaimo must expedite affordable housing.

No, I think we need to do better in this area. I will be listening and working with different groups to see change in this area if elected.

We are attempting to be as sympathetic and humanitarian in our approach to dealing with those people who are homeless. Public safety is key and we will continue to seek resources to assist people.

We have not even come close to exploring the options available to us in terms of housing the homeless or exploring options for short term, transitional, and longer term housing solutions. It is a matter of priority and political will.

Under current conditions, lack of affordable housing and the length of time it takes to build, I have to say yes, but I am hopeful that Senior Governments are paying attention to the deplorable and unacceptable conditions so many of our citizens live with. Federal Government a few decades ago did build housing for those on the lowest income. A national housing strategy needs to be brought back.

In a country as rich as Canada it is not acceptable to have people living in tent encampments. It is also not acceptable for residents to have people camped out in public parks that all residents should have the enjoyment of.

We need more shelter beds for people and we need more affordable and supportive housing ASAP. The city of Duncan has successfully created a model of small sleeping cabin communities with 10-12 residents. These small communities, located in empty lots in different parts of the city, are surrounded by fencing and an obscuring mesh which provides security for the residents. Security guards ensure that residents are protected from vigilantes and predatory activity, and to make sure these small communities do not get out of control with an influx of additional people trying to camp in them. They have porta potties, drinking water and cooking areas meeting the requirements of the UN Declaration on Human Rights. Social workers and health care teams are on-site regularly to help stabilize people’s lives. Nanaimo would benefit from setting up a number of these small communities of sleeping cabins in different parts of the city where the unhoused population is already congregating.

Tent encampments are not safe for anyone. We must do everything we can to help move people into something safer, stronger and free from the cold, wet weather. Nanaimo has lots of incredible support services and every group is trying their best to find workable solutions. Some countries around the world have found some solutions. We need to consider everything. I’ve been told that we are waiting for “Victoria to fix the problem”. That is not fixing the problem and so far nothing is working. We can and must do more.

I haven’t been in the know enough to properly respond to this question. With more information on community infrastructure resources and budget allocations, I could offer a better response. I acknowledge the issue is there and needs focus and attention. In doing so I would again reach out and see what is working else where. We don’t always have to reinvent the wheel. Also, reach out to the community knowledge base and seek ideas and proposals. We missing out on that tremendous resource!

Tent encampments should not be a resource people have to take. Throwing their precious stuff is not something I like either. There are many different reasons people are homeless. Some are seniors, some were born on the street, some are addicted to drugs. Even this is a small example. We need to start rethinking of how to help. Some ideas could be communicating with the government to increase house supply because it will decrease demand. Communicating with the government to create a mandatory drug rehab centre after a serious crime. These are JUST ideas because im learning how to create a balance. There are homeless people who don’t do crime and are happy with their lifestyle and want to be left alone. I’d like to let them be too.

The current system of having tent encampments throughout the city is not viable. Until the current housing situation is addressed, through Provincial government, I believe the encampments should be monitored, relocated, to make the city safer for all.

There could be use of alternative methods with which ever way possible by exploring avenues.

To some extent, small tent encampments are a reality which Nanaimo must accept. Supreme court rulings have been it clear that camping in some parks must be allowed. For many of those people though, housing inventory is not the solution. They need mental health/addition treatment centres. I do not believe that tent encampments should be accepted that impact tax paying citizens, as happened with our former tent city.

I disagree strongly, In encampment areas there is an increase in crime, vandalism and a danger to the surrounding public and property due to recent propane fires within the camps.

Everything has a cost. Nothing is free in life. I thoroughly encourage all Nanaimo Residents, irrespective of whether or not I’m elected to Council, to push City Council to create the “My Tax Money Nanaimo” Smartphone App and Website.

When Nanaimo Residents are shown how much it costs to pay for support and services and shelter for Homeless people, I believe it will truly “hit home” for Residents how critical it is to take a Commonsense, and Tough Love approach to the Homelessness crisis.

Housing the Homeless can be done in multiple ways. The City of Nanaimo could purchase unused buildings and convert them into Temporary Housing. Emergency Shelters could be set up using Military surplus. The Military is well versed in setting up tough, emergency shelters. Ultimately though, Nanaimo CANNOT gain a reputation at being “too good” at taking care of the Homeless.

Already Nanaimo is a destination for the half a million Homeless people in Canada with our relatively mild weather and very relaxed policies when it comes to public vagrancy, public use of substances, and even committing crimes. Homeless people who wish to live in Nanaimo, must be Law Abiding Citizens, or they won’t be in Nanaimo.

The question was already asked about taxation and to increase staff or contract out would be an increase in taxation. This Council has significantly increased the clean team from one to two, increased downtown parkade cleaning and obviously increased the budget. We need to see if this will show a significant improvement prior to investing further.

an answer is definitely needed, we need to look to other cities who have struggled and found some success

That is definitely within the responsibility of the City. Council recently added another $500K for clean teams for the downtown area. We should also be billing the province for the work that we have to do here to deal with the challenges that are their responsibility to fix and are not going a very good job.

Over the last two years more resources have been devoted to cleanliness of the City. However, more work needs to be done.

Campsites campsites where people can live stay clean be available to work there is only one toilet in town and no access to water

I think we all have a role to play in not accepting littering while ensuring we respect the possessions of homeless folks.

I’d rather see us devote more financial and staff resources to addressing the root causes and offering viable alternatives to sleeping on the street. We need to be proactive rather than reactive or we will never break this cycle.

The city has been financing a full-time sanitation ‘clean team’ devoted to improving the cleanliness stemming from the challenges around homelessness and social disorder. We have also recently added another clean team to support this effort as part of the downtown safety plan. These are part of the costs our community is burdened with as a result of the homelessness and addiction crisis. Although we must keep our community clean, the costs of these sanitation expenses should be closely recorded so we can lobby to recuperate them from the province and federal government. This is because they are ultimately responsible to deal with the crisis, especially if Nanaimo, given its particular location as a hub and mild climate deals with some of the homelessness and drug addiction problems of other communities

The City has devoted countless millions in the past on programs and highly paid managers to deal with homelessness. These programs to date have been ineffective and very costly. I have served on several boards on a volunteer basis assisting with homelessness and drug addiction services, including Teen Challenge. I assist clients on a daily basis dealing with these issues. The City should be leveraging the actual hands on and practical experience of non-government organisations and charities that operate more efficiently and effectively than City managed services.

Clean up is an unfortunate component of having so many unhoused on our streets. This council has added resources and services devoted specifically to this issue.

Community service penalties by law breakers should do the clean up of such pollution. Or, pay a reasonable fee for the homeless to clean up.

This is an important aspect. The City of Nanaimo has to improve cleanliness and improve safety – but this does not mean displacement of homeless persons to some other area. I think this is why it is important to understand the root causes of their condition, and have supports to give them real opportunity to become contributing members. This is a complex area – and I will have to become more familiar if elected on the matters in this connection. I know there are persons and organizations that have a good understanding on the issues, and I would consult with them.

I think that City taxpayers are carrying more than their fair share of the load of dealing with this social and health crisis. I will continue to work with other BC mayors to press senior governments to provide resources and approaches that could, over time, restore respect to those who need help, and confidence to the general population that is put at risk.

Providing more secure, stable, and supported short term, transitional, and longer term housing options for the homeless will help to address many of these issues.

For 2022 this Council did double our clean team, hired 12 Community Safety Officers, 4 RCMP bike patrols. Our bylaws people are constantly playing ” whack a mole ” with the challenges of social disorder, encampments etc. This of course costs us tax dollars, but would be worth it if we could see a positive outcome for the public.

The clean-teams that the City has funded have improved the cleanliness situation. The shower program that the City runs in partnership with the Nanaimo Unitarian Shelter ensures that the unhoused population have access to water and sanitation for good hygiene. The shower program reduces the strain on the medical health system through prevention and spread of skin infections and other preventable health problems related to poor hygiene.

The city should be pressing senior levels of government for the funding needed to deal with the homelessness, addiction and mental health crisis in our community. Those levels of government are responsible for these issues and need to provide far more support. With proper funding from senior levels of government the city could reasonably focus more resources to improving cleanliness.

Yes, of course. It may not be something the city wants to spend money on but these people are in crisis and they need help and support. The lack of cleanliness affects everyone’s health and social disorder leads to serious crime issues. Taking care of our community means we must devote more financial and staff resources for those most in need…until we can find solutions to help them get well or be placed in care where they will have a better quality of life.

I’m unable to provide a clear response because I’m not aware as to the level of resources that is currently being used and what cost there is to that. It appears that a level of accountability should be enforced to those responsible for the outcome. How that is to be requires further research and investigation.

Yes, but we are here to prevent and plan for the future where we are not putting a band-aid on things.

Homelessness and social disorder arguably fall outside of the Community Charter, but they are our City’s biggest issues and top concern. Therefore, it is our responsibility as councillors to be advocates of addressing the on-going issue. We need to work collaboratively with other levels of government and non-profits to find an effective multi-agency solution. Social disorder is something that has really impacted our city over the last decade and it has caused some citizens to feel unsafe – hindering businesses, tourism, and community. We need to advocate for more security and safety measures, including looking at increasing our funding for community policing initiatives; while at the same time, addressing the underlying issues that have created the problem that we see today. I.E., mental health, addiction, poverty, etc. We cannot just give up and accept this reality. We need to hold the province accountable when it comes to getting more resources for those in need in our community. This is an issue that I take very seriously and will work hard every day on identifying ways forward that go beyond band-aid solutions. We need to think long-term, not just short-term moving forward.

City has only so much budget to do this repeated unwarranted expenses, Yes, with provincial help it can.

Yes I agree. Our citizens deserve and want a clean and attractive city, and one in which they feel safe and welcome. Cleaning up the messes stemming from homelessness and social disorder does not solve the root problem. But it shows a commitment to keep our city clean and liveable for our citizens and guests. If we stop taking pride in the appearance of our city, we are lost.

The city should be focusing on the root cause of this issue and not using a bandaid solution to fix the problems.

Property Taxes have already increased 16 to 18% over the past 4 years. Wages for City Staff make up the largest part of the City’s Budget, The City has already hired 12 new Bylaw Officers at $50,000/ year to clean up after Homeless people who leave needles and detritus behind them. That is $600,000 a year that the Nanaimo Tax Payers have to shoulder. This is unacceptable.

The City does NOT need to keep hiring more and more Staff AD NASUEAM, placing more and more Tax Burden on Hard Working Nanaimo Tax Payers. It doesn’t take a genius to see that problem stems from Homelessness and Substance Abuse. The solution is these individuals issues need to be addressed.

The question is do City Politicians have the Guts and Political Will to make a tough call : if someone wants to live in Nanaimo, they will follow the law. Otherwise, they are NOT WELCOME in Nanaimo. Law Abiding Citizens follow the law. Homeless people and those with Substance Abuse problems must be no different.

ENOUGH with spending Tax Payer’s money to continue enabling people. Jail for those who are criminals. Rehab and Treatment for those with Substance abuse issues. Solved.