THE REAL PATH TO SAFER STREETS

Panhandling Bylaws Won't Help; We Need Action On Addiction, Mental
Illness And Housing

A nun is killed in Montreal, allegedly by a mentally ill resident of
the convent where she works. A panhandler attacks a 79-year-old man
in a Vancouver church. A visitor to Toronto is stabbed to death in an
encounter with four panhandlers.

Isolated cases, certainly. But they come as residents of Canadian
cities -- including Victoria -- find downtown streets increasingly
uncomfortable.

Some fear facing aggressive panhandlers; others are simply saddened
to see so many sick and damaged people sprawled in doorways, alleys and parks.

Once those concerns could have been dismissed as unwarranted. But
while Victoria's downtown remains generally safe and pleasant, the
problems are real and significant.

Some people grasp, understandably, for a quick, simple response, like
tougher laws against panhandling.

But that's no real solution. B.C. already has a Safe Streets Act
aimed at aggressive panhandling; additional laws aimed at begging
won't add to protection.

The roots of our urban problems lie in three areas -- mental illness,
addiction and homelessness. They are inextricably linked: Addicts
can't afford housing, or keep it when they manage to get it; people
without housing are unlikely to be able to manage their mental
illness or their addictions.

We have, as a society, created some of these problems. We rushed to
close large mental institutions in the 1970s, but failed to provide
the support that people would need to live in the community. Even
today, the Capital Mental Health Association is closing Laurel House
despite warnings that it is a vital support for its clients living
with mental illness.

Addictions have taken a growing toll over the last three decades;
education, prevention, treatment and support are all inadequate. We
have decided that living with the problems on the streets is
preferable to paying the costs involved in dealing with them.

We've also decided that it's acceptable for a significant portion of
the population to be unable to afford or find a place to live, and be
forced into shelters, couch-surfing or the streets.

A single disabled person in B.C. receives a maximum of $375 a month
for housing. That often means living in the kind of apartment
buildings that were shut down in Esquimalt this week because of
building code violations. And while those closures might be
necessary, the result is more people with no home and little chance
of finding one.

More panhandling laws might give the illusion of action. Perhaps they
might make a tiny difference in reducing unwanted encounters.

But the real problems that reduce our sense of safety and community
will remain.

Governments are quick to defend their efforts, pointing to programs
launched and money spent.

But, as anyone who works in the private sector will attest, it is
results that matter. And the evidence on our streets, every day, is
that governments have failed to deal with the problems. Things have
become much worse than anyone could imagine even five years ago.

And unless there is a real commitment to dealing with addiction,
mental illness and housing, things will likely be still worse five
years from now.