Author Archives: The Urban Survivor

Why Criminalizing Homelessness Fails Society: A Call for Compassionate Solutions

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Introduction
In cities worldwide, the visibility of homelessness often prompts punitive measures, including arrests for offenses like sleeping in public or loitering. However, jailing homeless individuals is a counterproductive approach that exacerbates systemic issues rather than resolving them. This article explores why criminalizing homelessness is ineffective, inhumane, and costly, while advocating for evidence-based alternatives.

1. The Ethical Failure of Punishing Poverty
Homelessness is rarely a choice. Systemic factors such as unaffordable housing, wage stagnation, mental illness, and lack of healthcare drive individuals into homelessness. Criminalizing these circumstances is inherently unjust, punishing people for conditions beyond their control. As the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Housing noted, laws targeting homelessness often violate human rights by discriminating against the poor. Jailing vulnerable populations ignores the root causes of homelessness, perpetuating cycles of marginalization.

implicating the Co-Ordinating The Use of Space Should Involve Inhabitants of Our Streets

2. Financial Costs: Jails vs. Solutions
Incarceration is expensive. The average annual cost to incarcerate one person in the U.S. exceeds 35,000,whereas providing permanent supportive housing—a proven solution—costs roughly 20,000–$25,000 per person annually. Cities like Houston and Salt Lake City have reduced chronic homelessness by up to 90% through Housing First initiatives, which prioritize housing without preconditions. Taxpayer dollars spent on jails could instead fund housing, mental health services, and job training, generating long-term societal savings.

3. Overburdening the Legal System
Arresting homeless individuals for minor offenses clogs courts and jails, diverting resources from serious crimes. In Los Angeles, for example, homeless individuals are disproportionately cited for low-level violations, straining law enforcement and judicial systems. A 2019 study found that 11% of LA County Jail inmates were homeless, highlighting how incarceration becomes a revolving door for those without stable housing.

4. Public Health and Safety Concerns
Jails are ill-equipped to address the complex needs of homeless populations, particularly those with mental health or substance use disorders. Incarceration often worsens these conditions, leading to higher relapse rates and vulnerability upon release. Conversely, access to healthcare, counseling, and harm reduction programs has proven more effective in improving outcomes. A 2020 study in Health Affairs found that supportive housing reduced emergency room visits by 40% among chronically homeless individuals.

For Many on the streets, the failure of other systems of family and faith lead to the desire for answers - often to solve problems in the economics of identity.

5. The Cycle of Criminalization
A criminal record creates barriers to employment, housing, and benefits, trapping individuals in homelessness. For example, a 2018 report by the National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty revealed that 70% of U.S. cities ban camping in public, pushing homeless populations into further isolation and legal jeopardy. This punitive approach undermines trust in institutions, discouraging people from seeking help.

6. Alternatives That Work
Successful models emphasize dignity and support:

  • Housing First: Provides immediate housing with wraparound services, showing a 99% retention rate in Denver.
  • Mental Health Courts: Divert individuals to treatment instead of jail, reducing recidivism by 58% (Council of State Governments).
  • Outreach Programs: Cities like San Diego employ teams to connect homeless individuals with services, reducing street homelessness by 14% in two years.

Conclusion
Jailing homeless people is a costly, short-sighted strategy that deepens societal inequities. Compassionate policies addressing root causes—affordable housing, healthcare access, and economic support—offer a sustainable path forward. As a society, we must choose investment over punishment, recognizing that homelessness is not a crime but a systemic failure demanding urgent, humane solutions.

References:

  • United Nations Human Rights Council, “Report on Adequate Housing” (2016)
  • National Alliance to End Homelessness, Cost Studies (2021)
  • Journal of the American Medical Association, “Health Outcomes and Housing First” (2020)
  • U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness, Housing First Evidence (2023)

Food Banks in British Columbia.

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100 Mile House Food Bank

5693 Horse Lake Rd. 100 Mile House, BC V0K 2E1

T: 250-397-2571   F:  250-397-2579

Email:    bobhicks@bcinternet.net

 

Abbotsford Food Bank

2420 Montrose St. Abbotsford, BC V2S 3S9 T:  604-859-5749   F:  604-859-2717 Dave Murray Email:    afb@telus.net or   christmasbureau@telus.net

Website:  www.abbotsfordcommunityservices.com

 

Agassiz-Harrison Food Bank

P.O. Box 564 #5 – 7086 Cheam Ave Agassiz, BC V0M 1A0 T:  604-796-2585   F:  604-796-2517 Laurie Sallis Email:    ahcs@shawlink.ca or   greimer@shawlink.ca  Website:  www.agassiz-harrison.org

 

Okanagan Boys & Girls Club

P.O. Box 332 3459 PLEASANT VALLEY RD Armstrong, BC V0E 1B0 T:  250-546-3465   F:  250-546-3468 Andrea Schnell Email:   cfedick@boysandgirlsclubs.ca  Website:  www.boysandgirlsclubs.ca

 

Ashcroft & Area Food Bank

PO Box 603  601 Bancroft St Ashcroft, BC V0K 1A0 T:  (250) 453-9656   F:  (250) 453-2034 Denise Fiddick Email:    scelizfry@telus.net

 

Barriere & District Food Bank Society

P.O. Box 465 Barriere, BC V0E 1E0 T:  (250) 672-0029 Kim Keating

 

Bella Coola Valley Food Bank

P.O. Box 22 Bella Coola, BC V0T 1C0 T:  250-799-5588   F:  250-799-5791 Clare Harris Email:    charris@belco.bc.ca

 

Campbell River & District Food Bank

1393 Marwalk Crescent Campbell River, BC  V9W 5V9     250-286-3226    250-286-3296     Ann & George Minosky email:    ann_minosky@telus.net OR    ann_minosky@telus.net

 

Arrow & Slocan Lakes Community Services

Arrow & Slocan Lakes Community Services  PO Box 100  Nakusp, BC V0G 1R0  T:  (250) 265-3674          F:  (250) 265-3378

Anne Miskulin 

Email:    amiskulin@aslcs.com

 

Arrow & Slocan Lakes Community Services

 PO Box 100

 Nakusp, BC V0G 1R0

 T:  (250) 265-3674   F:  (250) 265-3378

 Anne Miskulin

 Email:  amiskulin@aslcs.com

 

Boundary Community Food Bank Society

Mailing Address:

   7149 2nd Street Grand Forks, BC V0H 1H0

   Clients: 215 Central Ave., Grand Forks

   7419 – 2nd St, Grand Forks  T:  250-442-2800  F: 250-442-2800      

 

Larry Dickerson

 Email:  boundaryfoodbank@gmail.com or auroraws@yahoo.ca

 

Bulkley Valley Food Bank Smithers/Houston

P.O. Box 4293 1065 MAIN ST Smithers, BC V0J 1Z0 T:  250-847-1501    F: 250-845-7048 Rick Apperson Email:    rick_apperson@can.salvationarmy.org

 

Cawston/Keremeos Food Bank

c/o Cawston/Keremeos SDA Church 2334 Newton Road Cawston, BC  V0X 1C1 Ingrid Percival Phone:  250-499-0297 Email:    kere@telus.net

 

Chase Hamper Society

P.O. Box 137  Chase, BC V0E 1M0   T:  (250) 679-2399        Email:    cjwyld@cablelan.net   Chuck  Wyld

 

Chilliwack Community Food Bank – Salvation Army

45746 Yale Rd W Chilliwack, BC V2P 2N4 T:  (604) 792-0001   F:  (604) 792-5367 Don Armstrong Email:    careandshareda@shaw.ca Website:  www.salvationarmychilliwack.ca

 

Chemainus Harvest House

P.O. Box 188 9814 Willow St. (BSMT) Chemainus, BC V0R 1K0 T:  250-246-4816

   Sylvia Massey Email:   sylviamassey@shaw.ca

 

Clearwater and District Food Bank

741 Clearwater Village Road Clearwater, BC V0E 1N1 T:  250-674-3402   F:  250-674-3402 Patrick Stanley Email:    pandhlc@telus.net

 

CMS Food Bank Society

2740 Lashburn Road  Mill Bay, BC V0R 2P1  T:  250-743-5242          F:  250-743-5268  Email:    cmsfbank@telus.net

 

Community Connections Food Bank

PO Box 2880 Revelstoke, BC V0E 2S0 T:  250-837-2920   F:  250-837-2909 Patti Larson Email:  plarson@community-connections.ca

Website:  www.community-connections.ca

 

Columbia Valley Food Bank

201 – 7 Ave  PO Box 2141  Invermere, BC V0A 1K0  T:  250-342-0850

Doug Leibel

 

Comox Valley Food Bank

PO Box 3028  1755B 13th Street Courtenay, BC V9N 5N3 T:  (250) 338-0615  Jeff Hampton Email:   comoxvfb@shaw.ca

 

Cranbrook Food Bank Society

104-8th Ave South  Cranbrook, BC V1C  2K5  T:  250-426-7664          F:  250-426-7610 Jackie Jensen Email:    jackiejensen44@shaw.ca

 

Creston Valley Food Bank

807 Canyon St Creston, BC V0B 1G3 T:  (250) 428-4166 F:  1-866-460-881 

Doreen Lowe Email:    cvgleaners@telus.net

 

 

 

Food Bank on the Edge

160 Sea Plane Base Rd PO Box 1146 Ucluelet, BC V0R 3A0

T: (250) 726-6909   F:  (250) 726-7543

U: Lorene (Lorry) Foster Email:    fost@telus.net

 

Fernie – Salvation Army Family Services

PO Box 2259 741 – 2ND AVE Fernie, BC V0B 1M0

T: (250) 423-4661   F:  (250) 423-4668

U: Email:   kyla_mckenzie@can.salvationarmy.org   Kyla McKenzie

 

Friends in Need Food Bank

#8-22726 Dewdney Trunk Road  Maple  Ridge, BC V2X 8K9  T:  604-466-3663          F:  604-463-1736 Joanne Olson  Email:    director@friendsneedfood.com 

Website:  www.friendsneedfood.com

 

Fort St.John – Salvation Army Family Services

10116 100 Ave Fort St. John, BC V1J 1Y6 T:  (250) 785-0500   F:  (250) 785-0517 Isobel Lippers Email:    isobel_lippers@can.salvationarmy.org

 

Golden Food Bank

PO Box 1047 #102 1115 9TH STREET S Golden, BC V0A 1H0 T:  250-344-5608  

F:  250-344-2113 Barb Davies Email:    goldenfoodbank@uniserve.ca

 

People for a Healthy Community Food Bank

PO Box 325, 675 North Road Gabriola Island, BC V0R 1X0 T:  (250) 247-7311  

F: 250-247-7311 Kathryn Molloy Email:    info@phc-gabriola.org  OR    food@phc-gabriola.org     Website:  www.phc-gabriola.org

 

Greater Vancouver Food Bank Society

1150 Raymur Ave. Vancouver, BC V6A 3T2 T:  604-876-3601   F:  604-876-7323 Garth Pinton Website:  www.foodbank.bc.ca

 

Goldstream Food Bank

Canwest P.O. Box 28122  Victoria, BC V9B 6K8  T:  250-474-4443        

F:  250-474-4443 Sandy Prette  Email:    sprette@shaw.ca

 

Harvest of Hope Food Bank

PO Box 1625  Gibsons, BC V0N 1V0  T:  (604) 886-3665          F:  (604) 886-3683 Maureen O’Hearn  Email:    tsafoodbank@dccnet.com  Website:  www.tsaonthecoast.ca

 

Harvest Food Bank

P.O. Box 849 7120 MARKET ST Port Hardy, BC V0N 2P0 T:  250-902-0332  

F:  250-902-0613 Cheryl Elliott Email:    harvest9@telus.net

 

Hope Food Bank

434 Wallace St  PO Box 74  Hope, BC V0X 1L0  T:  604-869-2466  Ex: 403        

F:  604-869-3317 Kim Paolini  Email:    kpaolini@hopecommunityservices.com  Website:  kpaolini@hopecommunityservices.com

 

 

Hazelton – Salvation Army Community Food Bank

PO Box 100 Hazelton, BC V0J 1Y0 T:  (250) 842-6289   F: 250-842-6553

Tom Harris Email:  sallyann@bulkley.net  or sallysplace@bulkley.net

 

Hornby Island Food Bank

 Comox Valley Food Bank
Joe King Park
3875 Central Rd.
Hornby Island, BC

www.hornbyislandfoodbank.ca

 

Kamloops Food Bank & Outreach Society

P.O. Box 1513   171  Wilson St., Station Main  Kamloops, BC  V2C 6L8 

T: 250-376-2252           F:  250-376-0052 Bernadette Siracky 

U: Email:    bsiracky@kamloopsfoodbank.org 

Website:  www.kamloopsfoodbank.org

 

Kelowna Community Food Bank Society

1265 Ellis Street  Kelowna, BC V1Y 1Z7  T:  250-763-7161          F:  250-763-9116 Vonnie Lavers  Email:   vonnie@kcfb.ca 

Website:  www.kelownafoodbank.com

 

Kimberley Helping Hands Food Bank

340 Leadenhall Street  Kimberley, BC   V1A 2X6  T:  250-427-5522          F:  250-427-2297 Heather Smith  Email:    valb2@telus.net   randyandheather@shaw.ca

 

Kitimat Food Bank Society

14 Morgan St  Kitimat, BC V8C 1J3  T:  250-632-6611  Marjorie Phelps      Email:   marjon@citywest.ca

 

Ladysmith Food Bank

P.O. BOX 1653  721 First Avenue  Ladysmith, BC V9G 1B2  T:  250-245-3079          F:  250-245-3798 Neill-Ireland  Email:    info@lrca.bc.ca 

Website:  www.lrca.bc.ca

 

Lake Country Food Assistance Society

P.O. BOX 41013 RPOS 3130 Berry Rd. Lake Country, BC V4V 1Z7 T:  (250) 766-0125   F:  250-766-3038 Phyllis MacPherson Email:    pmacpher@shaw.ca

 

Lake Cowichan Food Bank

Box 1087 Lake Cowichan, BC V0R 2G0 T:  (250) 749-6239  F:  250-749-6239 Cindy Vaast Email:    cowichanlakefoodbank@gmail.com

 

Langley Food Bank

5768-203 St.  Langley, BC V3A 1W3  T:  604-533-0671          F:  604-533-0891 George Vandergugten  Email:    info@langleyfoodbank.com 

Website:  www.langleyfoodbank.com

 

Lillooet Food Bank

357 Main Street PO Box 2170 Lillooet, BC V0K 1V0 T:  250-256-4146   F:  250-256-7928 Violet Wager

Website:  www.bcaafc.com/centres/lillooet/

Email:    foodbank@lillooetfriendshipcentre.org

 

Loaves & Fishes Community Food Bank

1009 Farquhar St. Nanaimo, BC V9R 2G2 T:  250-754-8347    F:  250-754-8349 Peter Sinclair Email:    info@nanaimoloavesandfishes.org

 

Logan Lake Food Bank

PO Box 196 Logan Lake, BC V0K 1W0 T:  250-523-9057   Monica Oram

Email:    monicaoram@yahoo.com

 

Lumby Food Bank

PO Box 791  Lumby, BC V0E 2G0  T:  (250)  547-2225 Bruce Mackie

Email:  jandnmackie@shaw.ca

 

Lytton Community Food Bank

PO Box 87 Lytton, BC V0K 1Z0 T:  (250) 455-2316   F:  (250) 455-6669 Michele Swan Email:   mswan2@telus.net

 

 

 

Mustard Seed Food Bank

625 Queens Ave.  Victoria, BC V8T 1L9  T:  250-953-1580          F:  250-385-0430 Brent Palmer  Email:    brentpalmer@mustardseed.ca 

Website:  www.mustardseed.ca

 

Neighbour Link Food Bank

P.O. Box 2353 Vanderhoof, BC VOJ 3A0 T:  250-567-9007   F:  250-567-9017 Colleen Flanagan Email:  neigh09@telus.net

 

Nelson – Salvation Army Family Services

601 Vernon St Nelson, BC V1L 5R2 T:  (250) 352-3488   F:  (250) 352-7373

Yvonne Borrows Email:    yvonne_borrows@can.salvationarmy.org

 

Nicola Valley and District Food Bank

2026 Quilchena Ave PO Box 2719 Merritt, BC V1K 1B8 T:  250-378-2282   F:  250-378-2982 Karen Flick Email:   foodbank@mail.ocis.net

 

Oliver Food Bank

P.O. Box 405  Oliver, BC V0H 1T0  T:  (250)  498-4555 Jim Ouellette       

Email:    jimo@persona.ca

 

Osoyoos Food Bank

6210-97th Street

   Osoyoos, BC V0H 1V4 T:  (250) 495-6581 F: (250) 495-8011

   Lu Ahrendt

   Email:   rlahrendt@live.ca

 

White Rock & South Surrey Food Bank

5-15515 24 Ave Surrey, BC V4A 2J4 T:  604-531-8168 ext. 229   F:  604-541-8188 Sue Sanderson or Jaye Murray

   Email:   ssanderson@sourcesbc.ca or jmurray@sourcesbc.ca

   Website:  www.pacsbc.com/progr…

 

Peachland Food Bank

6490 Keyes Ave  Peachland, BC V0H 1X0  T:  (250) 767-3312  F: 250-767-3488 Judy Bedford

 

Pemberton SSCS Food Bank

1357 Aster Street Box 656 Pemberton, BC  V0N 2L0 Louise Stacey-Deegan Phone:  604-894-6101 Fax:  604-894-6333 Email:    louise.stacey-deegan@sscs.ca

Website:  www.sscs.ca

 

Penticton – Salvation Army Community Food Bank

2399 South Main St Penticton, BC V2A 5J1 T:  (250) 492-4788   F:  (250) 492-6494 Dorian Polaway

Email:  Pentictoncmw@shaw.ca or pentictonprogramcoordinator@shaw.ca

 

Powell River Action Centre Food Bank

6812d Alberni St  Powell  River, BC V8A 2B4  T:  (604) 485-9166 Gina Kendrick

 

Port Alberni Community Food Bank

4841 Redford St Port Alberni, BC V9Y 3P3 T:  (250) 723-6913   F:  (250) 723-6938 Marilyn Burrows Email:    marilyn_burrows@can.salvationarmy.org

 

Prince Rupert – Salvation Army Family Services

25 Grenville Crt. Prince Rupert, BC V8J 1R3 T:  250-624-6180   F:  250-624-8157 Erica Collison email:   erica_collison@can.salvationarmy.org

 

 

 

 

Prince George – Salvation Army Family Services

777 Ospika Blvd S  Prince George, BC V2M 3R5  T:  250-564-4000 EXT: 223            F:  250-564-4021 Crystal Wilkinson Email:    crystal_wilkinson@can.salvationarmy.org  Website:  www.tsainpg.com

 

Quesnel Food Bank

374 McLean St  Quesnel, BC V2J 2N9  T: 250-992-8784 – 250-992-7079         

F:  (250) 991-5189 Jim Vanderheyden email:    jimmyanddebbie@hotmail.com

 

Quadra Island Food Bank

PO Box 243  Heriot Bay    V0P 1H0  T:  250-285-3888      Teresa Tate  Email:    teresa_tate@yahoo.com

 

Salmo Food Bank

PO Box 39 311 Railway Avenue Salmo, BC V0G 1Z0 T:  (250) 357-2277   F:  (250) 357-2385 Charlene Bonderoff Email:    charlene@scrs.ca  Website:  www.scrs.ca

 

Richmond Food Bank Society

100-5800 Cedarbridge Way  Richmond, BC V6X 2A7  T:  604-271-5609  

Margaret Hewlett      Email:    margaret@richmondfoodbank.org or  

info@richmondfoodbank.org  Website:  www.richmondfoodbank.org

 

Cherryville Community Food Bank Society

412 Sugar Lake Road

   Cherryville, BC V0E 2G2

   P:  250-547-6646  F: 250-547-8944

   Sharon Harvey

   msharon@hotmail.com

 

Salt Spring Island Community Services Food Bank

268 Fulford Ganges Road Salt Spring Island, BC V8K 2K6 T:  250-537-9971 (237)  F:  250-537-9974 Gloria McEachern Email:  gmceachern@ssics.ca OR  jvanpelt@ssics.ca OR safoodbank@shaw.ca   

 Website:  www.saltspringcommunityservices.ca

 

 Salmon Arm – Salvation Army Food Bank

191 2nd Avenue NE  Salmon  Arm, BC V1E 4N6  T:  250-832-9194          F:  250-832-9148 David Byers  Email:    foodbank@sunwave.net

 

Share Family & Community Services

2615 Clark Street Port Moody, BC  V3H 1Z4 T:  604-931-2451 F:  604-931-2421 Roxann MacDonald Email:    r.macdonald@sharesociety.ca  

Website:  www.sharesociety.ca

 

 Salvation Army Mt. Arrowsmith Community Ministries

886 Wembley Rd  Parksville, BC V9P 2H6  T:  250-248-8794          F:  250-248-8601 Rolf Guenther  Email:    pvsallyann@shawbiz.ca

 

Slocan Valley Food Cupboard

915 HAROLD STREET     BOX 10     SLOCAN    V0G 2C0     T: 250-355-2484  Deb Corbett Email:    officemanager@wegcss.org

 

Sidney Lions Food Bank

95865 5th Street Sidney, BC V8L 3S8 T:  (250) 655-0679   F:  (250) 655-1130 Bev Elder Email:   fdbank@telus.net

 

Sorrento Food Bank

Box 568 Sorrento, BC  V0E 2W0 Phone:  250-253-3663 or 250-675-3835 Contact:  Jim Chisholm Email:    sorfood@shaw.ca

 

 

Sooke Food Bank Society

2037 Shields Rd Sooke, BC V0S 1N0 T:  (250) 642-7666    F:  250-642-5670

Ingrid Johnston

   email:  ingridjohnston@shaw.ca

 

Sparwood Food Bank

P.O. Box 682 125D Centennial Sq.

   Sparwood, BC V0B 2G0 T:  250-425-6435 Carol Walmsley

email:  jcwalm@shaw.ca

 

South Delta Food Bank

5545 Ladner Trunk Rd  Delta, BC V4K 1X1  T:  (604) 946-1967         

F:  (604) 946-4944 Joe Van Essen  Email:   info@ladnerlife.com

 

 St. Joseph’s Food Bank

32550 7th Ave Mission, BC V2V 2B9 T:  (604) 615-3223  F:  (604) 755-4705

Email:    sjfoodbank@gmail.com John Poston

 

Squamish Food Bank

PO Box 207 Garibaldi Highlands, BC V0N 1T0 T:  (604) 848-4316

Susan Newman Email:   squamishfoodbank@gmail.com

 

Summerland Community Food Bank

12583 Taylor Place Summerland, BC V0H 1Z0 T:  250-488-2099  Leventine Adams Email:   summerlandfoodbank@gmail.com

 

St. Mark’s Ecumenical Food Bank

1109-95 Avenue Dawson Creek, BC V1G 1J2 T:  250-782-2614 Austin Sones

 

Surrey/North Delta Food Bank

10732 – CITY PARKWAY Surrey, BC V3T 4C7 T:  604-581-5443   F:  604-588-8697 Marilyn Herrmann Email:    execdir@surreyfoodbank.org 

Website:  www.surreyfoodbank.org

 

Sunshine Coast Food Bank

P.O. Box 1069  Sechelt, BC V0N 3A0  T:  604-885-5881 (240)         F:  604-885-9493 Dale Sankey  Email:    scfoodbank@dccnet.com 

Website:  www.sccss.ca/communityaction.html

 

The Terrace Church’s Food Bank

4012 Anderson St Terrace, BC V8G 2T2 T:  (250) 635-9670

John Wiebenga email: jawiebenga@telus.net

 

Tansi Friendship Centre

P.O. Box 418 301 SOUTH ACCESS ROAD Chetwynd, BC V0C 1J0 T:  250-788-2996   F:  250-788-2353 Darlene Campbell Email:    tansifcs@persona.ca

Website:  www.bcaafc.com/centres/chetwynd

 

Vernon (and Enderby) Salvation Army

3303- 32nd Ave.  Vernon, BC V1T 2M7  T:  250-549-1314          F:  250-549-7344 David  MacBain email:    david.macbain@shawcable.com

 

Trail – Salvation Army Services

730 Rossland Avenue  Trail, BC V1R 3N3  T:  250-364-0445          F:  250-368-5806 Linda Radtke  Email:    salvationarmytrail@shaw.ca

 

Westside Community Food Bank Society

2545 Churchill Rd Westbank, BC V4T 2B4 T:  (250) 768-1559  Faith Lanthier Email:    wcfbca@yahoo.ca

 

 

Williams Lake – Salvation Army

267 Borland St Williams Lake, BC V2G 1R4 T:  (250) 392-2423   F:  (250) 392-1467 Claudine Kadonaga Email:  claudine_kadonaga@can.salvationarmy.org

 

Community Harvest Food Bank

301 32nd Street, Castlegar, BC V1N 3S6;  P: 250-365-6440;  Debbie McIntosh;  debbiemcintosh@shaw.ca

 

Cowichan Valley Basket Society

5810 Garden Street, Duncan, BC V9L 3V9;  P: 250-746-1566; F:  250-746-1566; Colleen Fuller; cvbs@shaw.ca

 

Eagle Valley Community Food Bank

P.O. Box 777, Sicamous, BC V0E 2V0;  P: 250-836-3440;  F: 250-836-3414; Janet McClean-Senft; evcrc@telus.net;  Website:  www.eaglevalleyresourcecentre.ca

 

Whistler Food Bank

P.O. Box 900, Whistler, BC V0N 1B0;  P: 604-935-7717; F: 604-932-0599;

Sara Jennings; foodbank@mywcss.org

 

 

Protest in Vancouver, British Columbia Against Residential Tenancy Branch Ruling Involved with Eviction Proceeding of March 31st, 2025

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Originally Published on Vancouver’s City News Website

BC Civil Liberties Association Suing Vancouver Over Daytime Shelter Ban

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Vancouver has been hit with a lawsuit over what human rights advocates call the city’s “cruel, dehumanizing, and deadly” daytime ban on homeless outdoor sheltering. Kier Junos has more.

By Emma Crawford

Posted January 30, 2025 6:34 pm. 

Last Updated January 30, 2025 7:07 pm.

The BC Civil Liberties Association (BCCLA) says it is taking the City of Vancouver to court on behalf of unhoused people affected by a ban on daytime shelters.

Calling the ban “cruel, dehumanizing, and deadly,” the association is challenging the city bylaws that make it illegal for unhoused people to shelter outdoors during the day.

“Unhoused people deserve to have their government treat them with dignity and respect,” the BCCLA said. “Instead, many municipalities choose to enforce bans on daytime sheltering with callous cruelty by forcing people to either carry their belongings around all day or be violently decamped if they try to shelter.”

According to the group, unhoused people in Vancouver are subject to constant harassment, surveillance, and violence. In its enforcement of the ban, the association says, the city engages in daily street sweeps that destroy people’s personal belongings, including tents, sleeping bags, and medications.

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The city’s website says unhoused people are permitted to set up temporary shelters in parks from dusk to dawn but they must be removed at sunrise “to make parks available to support the health and well-being of the whole community.”

In a statement, the city says it can’t comment on matters before the courts, but confirmed staff will review the legal documentation once it is received.

The liberties association says it is “impossible” for those with physical or mental disabilities to set up and take down their shelter daily and then carry it throughout the day.

Jason Rondeau, one of the plaintiffs, was living on the streets for five years until recently when he got into social housing in the Downtown Eastside.

“For myself, it’s not really affecting me anymore because I am housed now,” Rondeau said.

“But I’ve got a lot of friends out there who are still in the thick of it, and their life is hard. Without the sweeps, their life is already hard.”

Vibert Jack, litigation director for the BCCLA, says the lawsuit will also address city bylaws that govern tents on the sidewalk.

“The courts have said already that these types of bylaws are unenforceable at night because it makes it impossible for people to sleep overnight in shelter,” Jack said.

“Our position is the same logic applies during the day.”

For three years, CRAB Park in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside was the only place in the city where unhoused people could legally camp in the daytime. This was closed late last year.

Now if you’re an unhoused person and you want to camp overnight in a Vancouver Park, you have to take down your tent every morning at 8 a.m.

In its claim, the BCCLA says the daytime shelter ban violates three separate sections of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, in that it subjects citizens to “extreme cruelty,” puts peoples’ safety, security, and survival at risk, and threatens equality rights of diverse people, including those with disabilities.

With files from Kier Junos and The Canadian Press.

Originally published on Vancouver City News’ Online site.

Authored By: Emma Crawford

Is There a Fundamental Logic to Life?

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 by Matt Williams

One of the more daunting questions related to astrobiology—the search for life in the cosmos—concerns the nature of life itself. For over a century, biologists have known that life on Earth comes down to the basic building blocks of DNA, RNA, and amino acids. What’s more, studies of the fossil record have shown that life has been subject to many evolutionary pathways leading to diverse organisms. At the same time, there is ample evidence that convergence and constraints play a strong role in limiting the types of evolutionary domains life can achieve.

For astrobiologists, this naturally raises questions about extraterrestrial life, which is currently constrained by our limited frame of reference. For instance, can scientists predict what life may be like on other planets based on what is known about life here on Earth? An international team led by researchers from the Santa Fe Institute (SFI) addressed these and other questions in a recent paper. After considering case studies across various fields, they conclude that certain fundamental limits prevent some life forms from existing.

The research team was led by Ricard Solé, the head of the ICREA-Complex Systems Lab at the Universitat Pompeu Fabra and an External Professor at the Santa Fe Institute (SFI). He was joined by multiple SFI colleagues and researchers from the Institute of Biology at the University of Graz, the Complex Multilayer Networks Lab, the Padua Center for Network Medicine (PCNM), Umeå University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), the Georgia Institute of Technology, the Tokyo Institute of Technology, and the European Centre for Living Technology (ECLT).

Artist’s impression of Earth during the Archean Eon. Credit: Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History

The team considered what an interstellar probe might find if it landed on an exoplanet and began looking for signs of life. How might such a mission recognize life that evolved in a biosphere different from what exists here on Earth? Assuming physical and chemical pre-conditions are required for life to emerge, the odds would likely be much greater. However, the issue becomes far more complex when one looks beyond evolutionary biology and astrobiology to consider synthetic biology and bioengineering.

According to Solé and his team, all of these considerations (taken together) come down to one question: can scientists predict what possible living forms of organization exist beyond what we know from Earth’s biosphere? Between not knowing what to look for and the challenge of synthetic biology, said Solé, this presents a major challenge for astrobiologists:

“The big issue is the detection of biosignatures. Detecting exoplanet atmospheres with the proper resolution is becoming a reality and will improve over the following decades. But how do we define a solid criterion to say that a measured chemical composition is connected to life? 

“[Synthetic biology] will be a parallel thread in this adventure. Synthetic life can provide profound clues on what to expect and how likely it is under given conditions. To us, synthetic biology is a powerful way to interrogate nature about the possible.”

The sequence where amino acids and peptides come together to form organic cells. Credit: peptidesciences.com

To investigate these fundamental questions, the team considered case studies from thermodynamics, computation, genetics, cellular development, brain science, ecology, and evolution. They also consider previous research attempting to model evolution based on convergent evolution (different species independently evolve similar traits or behaviors), natural selection, and the limits imposed by a biosphere. From this, said Solé, they identified certain requirements that all lifeforms exhibit:

“We have looked at the most fundamental level: the logic of life across sales, given several informational, physical, and chemical boundaries that seem to be inescapable. Cells as fundamental units, for example, seem to be an expected attractor in terms of structure: vesicles and micelles are automatically formed and allow for the emergence of discrete units.”

The authors also point to historical examples where people predicted some complex features of life that biologists later confirmed. A major example is Erwin Schrödinger’s 1944 book What is Life? in which he predicted that genetic material is an aperiodic crystal—a non-repeating structure that still has a precise arrangement—that encodes information that guides the development of an organism. This proposal inspired James Watson and Francis Crick to conduct research that would lead them to discover the structure of DNA in 1953.

However, said Solé, there is also the work of John von Neumann that was years ahead of the molecular biology revolution. He and his team refer to von Neumann’s “universal constructor” concept, a model for a self-replicating machine based on the logic of cellular life and reproduction. “Life could, in principle, adopt very diverse configurations, but we claim that all life forms will share some inevitable features, such as linear information polymers or the presence of parasites,” Solé summarized.

The first implementation of von Neumann’s self-reproducing universal constructor. Three generations of machines are shown: the second has nearly finished constructing the third. Credit: Wikimedia/Ferkel

In the meantime, he added, much needs to be done before astrobiology can confidently predict what forms life could take in our Universe:

“We propose a set of case studies that cover a broad range of life complexity properties. This provides a well-defined road map to developing the fundamentals. In some cases, such as the inevitability of parasites, the observation is enormously strong, and we have some intuitions about why this happens, but not yet a theoretical argument that is universal. Developing and proving these ideas will require novel connections among diverse fields, from computation and synthetic biology to ecology and evolution.”

The team’s paper, “Fundamental constraints to the logic of living systems,” appeared in Interface Focus (a Royal Society publication).

Further Reading: Santa Fe Institute, Interface Focus

Originally Published January 2nd, 2025 at Universe Today.

Authored by: Matt Williams

Canada’s New Disability Benefit: A step forward, but is it enough?

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The Canada Disability Benefit (CDB) is set to launch in July 2025 but not much is known about it, yet

(Play Media above to listen to this article)

In July 2025, a new era dawns for Canadians with disabilities. The Canada Disability Benefit (CDB) is set to launch, promising a much-needed financial lifeline for adults aged 18 to 64. It’s a significant shift in how the government approaches disability support, but the devil, as they say, is in the details.

The CDB will offer a maximum annual payment of $2,400 – that’s $200 a month – for the initial period from July 2025 to June 2026. Think of it as a foundational layer, a structured payment designed to ease the crushing financial weight many disabled Canadians carry. It’s a far cry from a silver bullet, however.

——————–

Before the CDB, the landscape was a patchwork quilt of provincial programs and the Canada Pension Plan Disability (CPP-D). While helpful, these existing systems often left individuals struggling.

“It won’t make much of a difference, $200 doesn’t go very far these days,” she adds, “If the government really wants to make a difference in my life and other disabled people they need to turn $200 into $500,” says Rae-Darlene Lavoie, who lives with Multiple Sclerosis and is wheelchair bound.

Many provincial programs are notoriously stingy, imposing restrictive eligibility criteria and offering paltry sums that barely cover the basics. It’s like trying to fill a bathtub with a teaspoon – a Sisyphean task, to say the least.

Amanda MacKenzie, national director of external affairs for March of Dimes Canada, painted a stark picture. She highlighted the pervasive reality of many disabled Canadians living on less than $30,000 annually. This isn’t just a statistic; it’s a reflection of a system that, until now, has fallen short.

The CDB aims for a more equitable, consistent approach, tailoring payments to individual and spousal income. While this is a step in the right direction, critics argue that $200 a month simply isn’t enough to meet the escalating cost of living, especially for those with complex medical needs. The whispers of inadequacy are loud, and advocates are pushing for a substantial increase.

——————–

Service Canada promises detailed application information in Spring 2025. This is good news; clarity is crucial. However, the CDB’s true efficacy hinges on its implementation and the government’s responsiveness to ongoing concerns. Will it alleviate the financial strain, or will it merely offer a palliative, a band-aid on a gaping wound?

The CDB’s arrival coincides with a broader, much-needed conversation about disability rights and financial security. Advocacy groups are pushing for a holistic approach, viewing the CDB as a single piece of a much larger puzzle. They’re clamouring for increased funding for support services, accessible housing, and improved healthcare – all vital components of a truly inclusive society.

The CDB Is both a beacon of hope and a test of the government’s commitment. It’s a starting point, a foundation upon which a more equitable system can be built. But its success depends entirely on continuous dialogue, active listening, and a willingness to adapt and adjust based on the lived experiences of those the benefit is intended to serve.

The journey to true inclusivity is a marathon, not a sprint, and the CDB could mark a significant mile marker, but the race will still be far from over.

Article Originally published by Elliot Lake Today’ Web Site, click here.

Authored by Lisa Rene-de-Cotret, reporter for ElliotLakeToday.com/

Duty to Assist Involves More than Just the Homelessness Sector

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Duty to Assist is a homelessness prevention approach that works upstream and uses a human-rights lens. Originating in Wales, it is also known as the Housing (Wales) Act 2014, which created a legal obligation for local authorities, such as governments, to make reasonable efforts to move individuals out of homelessness or stabilize their housing. 

The fourth session of the Prevention Matters! series was hosted by Stephen Gaetz from the Canadian Observatory on Homelessness and dug into the details of how Duty to Assist works. Gaetz interviewed Peter Mackie of the Centre for Homelessness Impact at the University of Cardiff who was a key player in the implementation and creation of the Housing (Wales) Act 2014. They discussed the implementation of Duty to Assist in the United Kingdom, as well as challenges faced in the process and what Duty to Assist might look like in the Canadian context.

How Does Duty to Assist Work?

Individuals affected by homelessness are eligible for assistance at three stages:

  1. Prevention stage: When an individual is at risk of homelessness, authorities can intervene by trying to address the factors contributing to the risk, such as paying rental arrears or providing a rent subsidy.
  2. Relief stage: After a person’s housing is lost, the authorities can intervene by trying to find them new accommodations.
  3. In the event that both options fail, individuals in priority groups who are covered by previous legislation will have housing secured for them.

Duty to Assist works upstream, meaning that it assists individuals earlier than previous legislation allowed. Those who are at risk of homelessness or have just become homeless can seek out help from local authorities earlier. This allows issues to be addressed in a more timely and cost-effective manner. 

According to Mackie, Duty to Assist has proven to be much more effective in the prevention stage. The intervention can be something as simple as paying off arrears or providing first and last month’s rent, which is a much simpler approach than trying to find brand-new accommodation. 

“If you are already homeless, to take steps to resolve your homelessness, we’re way less successful there because you don’t have the home to try and keep somebody in.” – Peter Mackie

Challenges with Duty to Assist

While the implementation of Duty to Assist is a win for prevention in Wales, the legislation is still riddled with difficulties that go beyond the homelessness sector. As Promise Busulwa, the producer of Prevention Matters! always says in her opening remarks: “The housing crisis cannot be solved by the homelessness sector alone.” Mackie has written articles outlining the need for “…effective universal prevention to be the foundation of any strategy to end homelessness.” Many of the ongoing issues with the Duty to Assist model are the lack of consolidated, systematic care and collaboration between public bodies and other organizations to address the root causes of homelessness. 

“But what we don’t have in the legislation is a requirement that, for instance, a landlord would notify the local authority.” – Peter Mackie

Another challenge noted by Mackie is that people can be hesitant to change. Individuals who are impacted by impending or current homelessness, and who therefore qualify for Duty to Assist, need to be aware of the program itself and request assistance. This has proven to be difficult, especially given that the legislation and the supports offered looked very different prior to the implementation of the Housing (Wales) Act 2014. Prior to the implementation of Duty to Assist, the legislation only provided assistance for families with children and other priority groups. 

Currently, there is a gap as public institutions, like hospitals and prisons, do not call for assistance from local authorities when releasing an individual into homelessness. Mackie also noted push back about the universal nature of Duty to Assist. Many parties involved in the legislative process pushed to maintain the focus on priority groups, clashing against the universal prevention model that applies to everyone experiencing or at risk of homelessness.

Mackie spoke to the difficulties involved in imposing a “duty” on public bodies that had the power to intervene in the creation of an individual’s homelessness situation. Simply put, these parties could not be mandated to provide assistance because “ somebody is going to fail.” Instead, the legislation mandates a ‘best efforts duty.’ A duty to assist means providing assistance to those who willingly consent to receiving help and are, in return, expected to comply with attempts to provide them with assistance.

“In government, there’s often a reluctance to actually use the word ‘must.’” – Peter Mackie

To combat these challenges, Mackie calls for better data sharing and a more person-centred focus when providing services. As the legislation is currently being revised for what has been coined as “Duty to Assist, Mark II,” Wales aims to have these issues addressed and changes implemented, which involves including a more diverse range of voices. While Mackie expresses frustration with the lack of support both financially and from public systems for Duty to Assist, he does acknowledge that it has been very helpful as Wales traverses a housing crisis.

What Does this Mean for Canada?

While Duty to Assist cannot be precisely replicated in Canada because of the lack of infrastructure, Stephen Gaetz noted it is regarded as a fundable homelessness prevention method by the Government of Canada. Mackie also mentioned that the overall principles of Duty to Assist can be implemented without legislation—although they may be less effective without the legislative aspect—on a community or municipal level. While it would be ideal for there to be legislation to hold public bodies to account, Wales has not experienced any high court cases surrounding the Duty to Assist, leading Mackie to believe that the implementation of the Duty to Assist principles without legislation should be possible. 

Mackie recommended implementing Duty to Assist in a community to prove that it works before aiming to scale it upwards, and Gaetz replied this had been in progress before the COVID-19 pandemic. Here’s hoping Duty to Assist gets the chance to prove its value in Canada.

Interested in more diverse perspectives on homelessness prevention? Check out the rest of the Prevention Matters! Series. Want to learn more about Duty to Assist? There is a free, self-paced training on the Homelessness Learning Hub.

Originally published on The World-Wide Web’s Homeless Hub On Monday October 21st, 2024

Author: Rachel Lau

Disclaimer

The analysis and interpretations contained in these blog posts are those of the individual contributors and do not necessarily represent the views of the Canadian Observatory on Homelessness.

Residential School History / Day of Truth and Reconciliation

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For a period of more than 150 years, First Nations, Inuit and Métis Nation children were taken from their families and communities to attend schools which were often located far from their homes. More than 150,000 children attended Indian Residential Schools. Many never returned.

The first church-run Indian Residential School was opened in 1831. By the 1880s, the federal government had adopted an official policy of funding residential schools across Canada. The explicit intent was to separate these children from their families and cultures. In 1920, the Indian Act made attendance at Indian Residential Schools compulsory for Treaty-status children between the ages of 7 and 15.

Assumption Hay Lakes school building
Assumption Hay Lakes school building
Assumption Hay lakes school building
Assumption Hay lakes school building

The Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada (TRC) concluded that residential schools were “a systematic, government- sponsored attempt to destroy Aboriginal cultures and languages and to assimilate Aboriginal peoples so that they no longer existed as distinct peoples.” The TRC characterized this intent as “cultural genocide.”

The schools were often underfunded and overcrowded. The quality of education was substandard. Children were harshly punished for speaking their own languages. Staff were not held accountable for how they treated the children.

St. Anthony's Sacred Heart building
St. Anthony’s Sacred Heart building
Crowfoot St. Joseph building
Crowfoot St. Joseph building

Coqualeetza Chilliwack School building
Coqualeetza Chilliwack School building

We know that thousands of students suffered physical and sexual abuse at residential schools. All suffered from loneliness and a longing to be home with their families.

The schools hurt the children. The schools also hurt their families and their communities. Children were deprived of healthy examples of love and respect. The distinct cultures, traditions, languages, and knowledge systems of First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples were eroded by forced assimilation.

The damages inflicted by Residential Schools continue to this day.

For a great many Survivors, talking about their experiences in residential schools means reliving the traumas they experienced. For years, many told no one about what they had endured.

In 1996, the landmark Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples drew attention to the lasting harm that was done by the residential schools. A growing number of Survivors and their descendants came forward to tell their stories and demand action.

Through their courage and persistence, an eventual legal settlement was reached between Survivors, the Assembly of First Nations, Inuit representatives and the defendants, the federal government and the churches responsible for the operation of the school. The Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement included:

  •  A commitment to a public apology. On June 11, 2008 then Prime Minister Stephen Harper issued a formal Statement of Apology on behalf of Canada. The Apology stated that, “There is no place in Canada for the attitudes that inspired the Indian residential schools system to ever again prevail.”
  • Financial compensation to Residential School Survivors including a lump sum Common Experience Payment, the Independent Assessment Process for the most serious forms of individual abuse, and a Commemoration Fund.
  • The creation of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission to inform all Canadians about what happened in the Residential Schools by witnessing and documenting the truth of Survivors, families, communities and anyone personally affected by the Schools. The TRC issued an extensive report on the history of residential schools as well as Calls to Action and Principles of Reconciliation.

It is important to acknowledge that the Settlement Agreement was not comprehensive. The Métis Nation Survivors were not part of the Settlement Agreement. A separate settlement was reached with Survivors from Newfoundland and Labrador in 2016. A settlement agreement with Survivors of federal Indian Day Schools was not reached until 2019.

The NCTR is carrying on key aspects of the TRC’s work, including safeguarding and adding to the archive of Survivor statements and other records and building a registry of the thousands of children known to have died in residential schools.

In September 2020, Parks Canada announced that Residential Schools had been designated an event of national historical significance. Such designations mark aspects of Canadian history, whether positive or negative, that have had a lasting impact on shaping Canadian society.

The Canadian Parliament passed legislation, Bill C-5, to create a national day of commemoration to honour residential school Survivors and promote understanding of residential school history. The TRC called for such commemoration in its Calls to Action (Call to Action 80). The first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation took place September 30, 2021.

Article Originally in Print online:

https://nctr.ca/education/teaching-resources/residential-school-history/

Reference care of Homeless Hub which also employs a explanatory video:

Explainer: Honouring National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

Appeal for Assistance in Our Human Journey

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Greetings,

As we come together closer in our individual cultural bubbles there is an increasing need for those of us on the humanitarian front line to find support from these developing networks.

We at The Urban Survivor – on the Social Media Map since the year 2000 – are now entering a new stage of social development as we find ourselves with new understandings of boundaries and borders.

Even the smallest donation helps – it could be an assistance to someone’s educational alignment, a day’s meal, a gift of knowledge that someone cares and the renewed faith in the power of human piety and the organization of collective experience.

Thank you for reading and more than ever, thank you for caring.

The Urban Survivor

https://theurbansurvivor.org/

Overview of Rental Home Costs in North America

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Rental home costs in North America have been a hot topic in recent years. As the demand for rental properties continues to rise, so do the costs associated with securing a place to call home. One area that has seen increased demand is industrial spaces, which have led to the rise in maintenance and refurbishment costs, with services like pro industrial painting becoming more sought after to ensure the longevity and appeal of these properties. You can also seek some assistance from this site at https://proindustrialpainters.co.uk/warehouse-painting.

Whether you’re considering a cozy apartment or a spacious rental home, understanding the current landscape of US rental property costs is crucial. As you explore options, consider how a well-designed space can make all the difference. Closet Designer from Bella Systems offers innovative and elegant solutions to optimize storage and enhance the functionality and style of any rental. In this blog post, we’ll explore regional variations in rental home costs in North America, delve into the factors driving rental expenses, and offer insights to help you navigate the competitive rental market.

Unpacking the Numbers: Rental Home Costs in North America

The US rental costs vary significantly depending on location, property type, and amenities.

Major metropolitan areas like New York, Los Angeles, and Toronto tend to have the highest rental home costs, while smaller cities and rural areas offer more affordable options.

Recent rental market trends show 564,828 properties available for rent in September 2024. The median monthly rent in the US hovers around $2,100 as of September 2024. The rental cost has remained nearly the same as last month

The rental costs in the US have increased by about 19 percent since 2019. Several factors contribute to the rising rental home costs in North America:

In cities like New York or Los Angeles, you might have to pay upwards of $3,000 or more for a one-bedroom apartment. In contrast, you could find comparable accommodations for under $1,000 in less densely populated areas.

       Most Expensive US Rental Markets in 2024

 

       Least Expensive US Rental Markets in 2024


Conclusion: Finding Your Place in the Market

While the rental market in North America can be challenging, understanding the factors influencing costs and employing savvy search strategies can help you find a suitable and affordable home.

Remember, it’s crucial to do your research, compare options, and be prepared to negotiate to secure the best possible deal.

Whether you’re looking for a vibrant city apartment or a quiet suburban rental home, with careful planning and persistence, you can find a place that fits your lifestyle and budget.

References:

  1. https://www.apartments.com/rent-market-trends/us
  2. https://www.realtor.com/research/april-2024-rent/
  3. https://worldpopulationreview.com/state-rankings/average-rent-by-state
  4. https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/interactive/2024/rent-average-by-county-change-rising-falling/
  5. https://www.zillow.com/rental-manager/market-trends/united-states