Gospel Mission location - again.

[P65]

Interesting article on Castanet : "Gates keep homeless out."
The ongoing problems on the downtown streets that impact businesses and how they must spend money, time and effort everyday to clean up the mess left by people sleeping/camping/or just hanging out.
The most disgusting part is the defecating. This is something that has become more noticeable, people just dumping wherever nature calls.
I know this debate has been going on for years, but it is pretty much an excepted fact that the location of the Gospel Mission has a negative impact on the entire downtown area and surrounding neighbourhoods.
The entire street is in deplorable condition!
Given that it is right behind hotels, across from city park and on a one way street that lots of tourists drive down, I am amazed not more is done to either move it's location or at least expect the operation to do more to clean up the area.
The city recently sent out a questionnaire asking people to weigh in on new outdoor furniture.
I think money, time and questionnaires would be better spent on cleaning up the downtown before we add anymore structures that people can sleep on or sit and beg on.
https://www.castanet.net/news/Kelowna/2 ... meless-out

[7600736]

The Gospel Mission must move to a less conspicuous area, otherwise our downtown will become another Main and Hastings, which it is well on its way to becoming. Unfortunately, residents and tourists will have to start avoiding downtown, and businesses will have to start moving out before our pathetic city council will do anything about it. I myself refuse to spend any of my time or money downtown.

[Fancy]

The Gospel Mission has been there for approximately 40 years. Where should it go?

[P65]

It is irrelevant how long the Gospel Mission has been there.
It is not like it is a heritage building that should be maintained and kept going in the same place.
40 years ago it would have been innocuous to the surrounding community.
It has outgrown it's place in the area.

[Fancy]

The place needs to be easily accessed so it is relevant how long it has been there. Many businesses have been there for decades as well.

[P65]

Agree, many businesses have been there a long time and many of those businesses are and have been for a long time complaining about the Gospel Mission and it's location.
Also agree that it needs to be accessible and given that the city has now grown to the point where the centre of the city is far away from the lake, the current location is not as accessible to all who may wish to avail themselves of it's services.
It's accessibility and length of time at that location have no relevance to each other.
Regardless of location, it needn't be the horrible mess it is in any neighbourhood.

[60-YEARS-in-Ktown]

So what is your solution?

[bjsilent]

Kelowna Gospel Mission needs to relocate,an industrial section of town would work yet then again those businesses will constantly be broken into.Management at the KGM will say that they need to stay where they are so their clients can access certain needs like medical appointments,court appointments etc etc.Leon Ave and surrounding areas have become a derelict dump!!! Transients running all over downtown bugging people for change,cigarettes and what not.Openly doing drugs and doing drug deals right in front of businesses,time to stop handing everything to these people.They get welfare whilst staying at the KGM,free bus tickets,free haircuts,free clothes,three meals a day along with snacks,free laundry,free dental,free eye exams and eye glasses.Time to stop with the handouts!!!

[WalterWhite]

*snip* They get welfare whilst staying at the KGM,free bus tickets,free haircuts,free clothes,three meals a day along with snacks,free laundry,free dental,free eye exams and eye glasses.Time to stop with the handouts!!!

Oh yea, it's a pretty great lifestyle - surprised everyone isn't partaking in it.

The homeless problem won't be magically fixed by moving the KGM. I totally agree, Leon and city park are a municipal embarrassment and are only going to get worse. I'm just waiting for the day Kelowna follows suit with Victoria, Vernon and other municipalities and homeless camps start assembling in city park. After all, the Supreme Court has ruled it's in their constitutional rights to camp in city parks. In addition to being an embarrassment, as I've stated before - no resident should feel uncomfortable to the point they can't go anywhere in town they want - especially city park. I won't even get started on the needle issue associated with a large portion of park dwellers.

What's the answer? No idea. This is not just a local problem. Homelessness is a global issue, and it's not going to go away. Governments and societies need to either make significant changes to how it's marginalized citizens are assisted with living a life conducive to the areas they inhabit - or people are simply going to have to get used to certain areas of pretty much any urban location across the country to be "no go zones". Affordable housing won't solve the issue - and even in this day and age is still almost non-existent in places like Kelowna. Nope. No easy answer whatsoever.

Despite the KGM apparently being in that location for over 40 years (I personally don't have recollection of it being there that long) things have changed. I used to hang out downtown in my teens well into the night, and never recall being concerned with walking down Leon, or any other areas downtown. It certainly in no way remotely resembled what that street looks like now. What's changed resulting in the current situation? Did the national homeless tourism association start pushing Kelowna as a destination hotspot for the homeless?

[Jlabute]

Maybe relocation is a good idea. Put the Gospel Mission where that old Westside stadium is/was. That way, the homeless can have concerts and charge admission, plus they won't be dumping needles and begging as much as in high traffic areas. The Gospel can get a larger building. The large digital sign can occasionally run Gospel Mission ads to donate too.
The Gospel Mission has been in that spot as long as I have been in Kelowna (since '82). So, could have been there even longer.

[Fancy]

The students opened a drop-in centre that grew to be Kelowna’s Gospel Mission Society in 1978.

from their webpage. This is a Kelowna business and access to services will probably be a requirement so keep that in mind.

[KevinJP]

Oooh, I can hear it now. If they make any move, it's going to be Rutland. Remember, the Knights of Columbus hall in Rutland.
Apparently, all you need is the proper zoning, because City Hall is not concerned with who lives there.

[Fancy]

Oooh, I can hear it now. If they make any move, it's going to be Rutland.

Where would it possibly be located to access essential services?

[WalterWhite]

The students opened a drop-in centre that grew to be Kelowna’s Gospel Mission Society in 1978.

from their webpage. This is a Kelowna business and access to services will probably be a requirement so keep that in mind.

This is also from their website:

https://kelownagospelmission.ca/about-us/

stewardship • We will be good stewards of the resources entrusted to us and are accountable before God and our supporters for the management of these resources.

One could certainly make the argument that they have not been good stewards of the resources entrusted them, as the immediate area they occupy downtown is simply a disgrace, and as many have pointed out for a number of years, continues to degrade the overall appearance and perception of the KGM itself - not to mention the impact on adjacent businesses in the immediate area.

[Fancy]

That's where bylaw enforcement should be up front and center.