By Canadian Press

Eight sheltered but more spaces needed as Vancouver seeks rooms for displaced campers

Apr 6, 2023 | 7:41 AM

VANCOUVER — A handful of homeless people set up tents overnight along a stretch of Vancouver’s Hastings Street that was cleared Wednesday in a co-ordinated effort by city officials and Vancouver police.

Mayor Ken Sim ordered the long-standing encampment removed after the city’s police and fire chiefs warned of escalating crime and an unacceptable fire risk.

At the camp’s peak, about 180 structures covered the sidewalk along the busy street.

Now there are questions about where the displaced residents will go, and many have vowed to return to the only place they feel safe as soon as enforcement lifts.

Vancouver city manager Paul Mochrie has said there are not enough shelter spaces to accommodate everyone, but a statement issued Wednesday night from Sim’s office said eight people had asked for accommodation and it had been supplied.

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The statement says “shelter space availability is fluid” but pledged to continue to work with government partners to “identify additional capacity.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 6, 2023.

The Canadian Press