Allowing tent cities in municipal parks is a temporary, makeshift solution to the problem of homelessness; it should not become permanent.
A Victoria city council committee has recommended a plan to help people camping in parks. Measures include designating specific spots for tenting in certain parks and considering the creation of a community of tiny homes.
Municipal parks were not designed for camping, which can cause environmental damage, create hygiene problems and ruin enjoyment of the parks by others. And it鈥檚 not a situation that offers hope to people wrestling with the problems that contribute to their homelessness.
鈥淗ousing first鈥� is an approach that shows much promise. It is based on the premise that all other problems associated with homeless are much more easily addressed if people have a decent place to call home. But that approach works only when it is accompanied by programs and measures to help people improve their situations. Tents in parks aren鈥檛 conducive to such assistance.
The idea of providing micro-houses is certainly worth exploring, but like tents, they don鈥檛 belong in parks.
While ensuring people have a safe place to sleep at night is paramount, it鈥檚 the relatively easy part, as Mayor Lisa Helps points out.
The issues behind homelessness need to be addressed. Otherwise, we are treating the symptoms without curing the ailment.
