A commentary.
Christmas magic happens when we do something kind that extends a spirit of generosity to others. It might be remembering a neighbour with a small gift or helping them with an errand.
Christmas is the time of year that many organizations in our community receive the majority of donations that will see them through the coming year.
These donations help many neighbours living below the poverty line struggling to pay rent and buy food. The citizens of Victoria are known for their generosity.
We are especially grateful to everyone who donates to organizations that serve those who are homeless. Your kindness and generosity means that others will receive the gift of a warm meal or other essentials like warm clothing, tents and blankets.
Items necessary to survive at a time when there is a lack of affordable housing, few indoor shelter options, and an inadequate social safety net.
However, many of these survival items end up in the landfill due to municipal policies that result in belongings being taken and thrown away daily. The City of Victoria reports that they dispose of five to 10 tons each week.
Disposing of homeless peoples’ possessions is costly and ineffective for addressing homelessness and makes exiting homelessness harder. Identification (such as birth certificates, and social insurance cards), referral cards, phones, and bus tickets/passes essential to accessing housing, employment and supports are among items taken.
Items essential to health such as medications, appointment cards, glasses and dentures are indiscriminately taken. Losing your dentures has a significant impact on nutrition and ability to eat and overall health.
For individuals living in poverty, it can be impossible to replace items. Coverage for glasses and dentures are limited.
Losing irreplaceable items like photos and other valuables such as the ashes of a loved one means lost connections to someone that they loved and who loved them.
As well, sweeps as a strategy for managing homelessness are costly to communities with donated items ending up in the landfill at taxpayers’ expense. In 2017, The City of Seattle spent $10 million on sweeps with that number estimated as double in 2018 with little impact on homelessness.
Municipalities investing in bylaw and administration will not end or reduce homelessness. This approach is costly and works against ending homelessness in multiple ways with devastating impacts on health and well-being of those who are homeless.
The disposal of personal possessions is a punitive approach to homelessness adding to the trauma of homelessness. It adds to the hopelessness and exhaustion of starting over every day.
Not only are people in difficult circumstances but they are essentially having items taken from them that are critical to survival and moving out of homelessness. It is punishing people for policies that have created homelessness. When trauma and hopelessness increase, people are more vulnerable to risks such as overdose and suicide.
Some have described these policies as “unhealthy by design.” They impact peoples’ health by taking away means of survival, contribute to poor mental, and disrupted sleep adding to emotional distress and worry in an already stressful situation of survival.
These are punitive policies that are costly and ineffective responses to homelessness. Municipalities and all levels of government have a responsibility to invest in effective and evidence based policies.
Today, Dec. 21, is the National Memorial Day for Homeless Persons. It is the longest night of the year. We mourn because we have lost so many to inhumane policies and violation of human rights.
These are systemic policy failures resulting in early and premature deaths. On our wish list for Christmas? Politicians supporting housing as a human right, as well as non-punitive and evidence-based responses to homelessness.
Please ask your municipal, provincial and federal politicians to support non-punitive policies as an alternative to punishing and ticketing homeless people.
There are effective evidence-based strategies like investing in affordable housing, ensuring a basic or guaranteed annual income, and Housing First, which includes housing and supports.
These are cheaper and more effective solutions. So please continue to extend a spirit of generosity to others by giving to local organizations this Christmas. Also, give a lasting gift by contacting elected officials to invest in solutions that are grounded in evidence and human rights.
Bernie Pauly is a Community Engaged Scholar, Professor, University of Victoria, School of Nursing and Scientist at the 91原创 Institute for Substance Use Research. She is co-lead of the University of Victoria Right to Housing Research Cluster.
Niki Ottosen is a community advocate who has owned and operated the BackPack Project for the past 15 years. The BackPack Project has been delivering humanitarian and mutual aid to individuals who are unhoused with donations by the community members and local businesses throughout the Greater Victoria Regional District.
