Homelessness, homelessness, homelessness.
It's a topic Mayor Gregor Robertson campaigned on to get elected in 2008 and one he continues to debate with NPA mayoral candidate Suzanne Anton in the waning days of this year's campaign.
Both candidates have thrown out numbers on how well each party-when in power-has done in decreasing homelessness. The NPA ruled council from December 2005 to November 2008; Vision has ruled council since November 2008.
OK, let's get to the numbers.
The fact is homelessness has increased by 314 people between March 2005 and March 2011, according to the Metro Vancouver homeless counts. But as the number of homeless has increased, the number of those people living on the street has decreased dramatically.
Read the numbers for yourself:
- In 2005, 591 people were recorded living on the street in Vancouver and 700 in some form of shelter for a total of 1,291 people.
- In 2008, 815 people were on the street and 765 were in shelters for a total of 1,580 homeless.
- In 2011, 145 people were on the street, 1,362 were in shelters and another 98 were recorded in hospitals, jails, safe houses and other forms of shelter for a total of 1,605 people.
It should be noted the 2011 count was taken when four winter shelters funded by the provincial government were open in the city. They were located on West Fourth, Cardero Street, Broadway and Howe Street. Total capacity was about 160 people.
Since funding expired for the shelters and they were closed, three new social housing projects have opened in the Downtown Eastside, one on Seymour Street and another on Pender Street. Total capacity is about 300 people.
So if homelessness were a math equation, 145 plus 160 equals 305-the number of people that should be on the street since the shelters closed. But if 300 new units opened since the shelters closed, then only a few people should be without a home, right?
I know, it's not that simple. I'll confuse you even more when I remind you that a fourth social housing building on Station Street was opened in January for about 80 people. So that means almost 400 units of new housing have opened in Vancouver this year.
Yet, Robertson still wants those four shelters re-opened this winter, arguing there is still a street homelessness population.
Housing Minister Rich Coleman made it clear to me in October that the provincial government has no plans to fund the shelters, which cost $2.5 million. He said the government's housing strategy has always been to move people off the street and out of shelters as new social housing is built.
"We wrote the city last spring and told them that we didn't feel that with the 300 units coming on stream that we would be needing those [winter shelters]," Coleman said. "Our numbers say we don't."
So who's right about the numbers, here?
Maybe ask the two guys sleeping in the parking garage behind the Courier's office.
Twitter: @Howellings
