NIABY.COM
(*Not In Anyone's Back Yard) "No one knows how much money spent by these organizations nor on what."-- Vancouver Sun describing over 100 organizations working in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside, February 14th, 2008.
Is there evidence of increased crime rates in communities with supported housing?
In 25 years of experience with supported housing in Vancouver, there is no evidence that there has been an increase in crime in areas around these buildings. There are 16 apartment buildings outside the Downtown Core ranging in size from 9 to 34 units that are located in apartment zoned residential neighbourhoods. A review of the complaints filed with the City’s Licenses and Inspection Department and Vancouver Police Department show few calls have been made by neighbours of supportive housing projects. In fact, the calls that have been received are often calls about activities near the address but unrelated to the tenants in the supported housing." 1
Wrong question. It fails to address the specific population, mentally ill drug addicts, City Hall is planning to house in these supportive apartments.
The correct question should be:
Is there evidence of increased crime rates in communities with "abstinence-based" supportive housing for drug addicts and drug addicts with a mental illness?
The City FAQ should say - as their own experts admit:
"Fraser St is our first clearly concurrent disorder [mentally ill drug addicts] site so it's our very first site that will be specialized of people with mental illness who are in recovery from addiction ..." 2
Linda Thomas, a Housing Bureaucrat from VCH admitting in public that despite all the claims about no increase in crime and there won't be any problems that they have no safety for what they are proposing to build.
"We [Vancouver Coastal Health and City Hall] are in a dilemma because we do not have any safety data for the size of the facility proposed and the population." 3
The City of Vancouver staff have no safety data to make claims the community will be safe. The City has no experience with "abstinence-based" drug addict with a mental illness supportive housing. Any claims about mentally ill drug addict supportive housing from their experience, ie. 911 calls, there are no safety concerns for your neighbourhood or the effectiveness of supportive housing staff to maintain civility with supportive housing for mentally ill drug addicts is simply speculation because City Hall and VCH bureaucrats do not have any experience running facilities specifically for those with concurrent disorders.
Published May 24, 2007.