Mayor Wants Homeless Criminalized

[Anonymous123]

At this point it's either a criminal record or a paupers grave. Arresting the homeless will weed out the opportunistic vultures from the people that actually need help. The addicts and mentally ill will be forced by court to attend rehabilitation resources that may not be available without legal intervention.

Out of curiosity, what services are offered in jail? My opinion is that nothing good comes from putting people in jail.

btw, I've spent time in jail and know that depending on your crime they have mandatory courses that really do nothing to help .

Before my sentencing my opinion was, meh, so i'm going to jail, i'll just take a few courses while inside and voila head down a different path when i get out.. it doesn't work like that. you don't get to take courses you take what they tell you and nothing of any good

Did you read my post? I never said that services were offered while in jail. Court ordered attendance to rehabilitation resources instead of incarceration.
Like I said

At this point it's either a criminal record or a paupers grave.

.

[Ryshenton]

Um, how typical of BC and Kelowna. I think not so they should criminalize those who are behind the real estate and housing market, not to mention perhaps the economy, or Kelowna's for caring only about themselves? Lol, it's really shallow and materialistic shallow place, Kelowna. It's difficult to find a place or live here, not to mention it's kind for the irony and price for trying to make a place unaffordable to which only the "elite" are supposed to be able to reside in. When a place is warm like it is in Canada, you're going to have a big migrant population from all over. I almost think this reality only contributes, and inevitably worsens the dilemma. Especially how opposed or I imagine set on ignoring the problem, only adds to the desire for vindication.

[Ryshenton]

Imo, as someone who grew up in the system, has been homeless, had volunteered and aspired to work in the industry and has chosen an industry where solutions are applied to problems instead, as someone who used to be a “lefty” and is now on the fence railin’: There are services available for all types of issues; housing, rental supplements, pay-by-day work, employment training, KCR and IH community wellness classes hat teach emotional intelligence and how to regulate and manage your own mental health, government grants, free upgrading, employment insurance, pwd, social assistance, halfway houses, rehabilitative housing where you’re required to be 30-90 days clean in order to receive a unit, rehab centres that provide gateways to further assistance, as do the psych unit wards. What does all of this require? Making a genuine effort on your own to improve your own situation. Following up with those who are working toward your stability. Altering your life to accommodate the big adjustments that you’re working towards.

What does the average person do on a daily basis? Basically all of that; it’s how we live our lives as productive, healthy, stable adults.

I have talked to many homeless people; you have the ones who lost their job, lost their house and have minimal supports. If they’ve been fired, they should access EI or other supports (all info is available online or at WorkBC); the ones who do not want to live with society; the ones who are making $18/hour, in debt and using drugs; the ones who couch surf; the ones who have no family, terrible trauma and should have the government as PoA until they’re at a stable level to integrate back into society through unit>halfway house>independent living>rental housing. My least favourite, would be the ones who reject any offer of assistance through the appropriate support channels and outright demand monetary assistance for their own personal use. As much as it makes even the most liberal heart bleed- it takes a certain degree of “doing something” when it comes to changing your own circumstances. You cannot expect a community to hold your hand, as that’s not how it works; which may suck, but the more you actually try to improve your own life on your own terms, the stronger you become as an individual and the more resilient you are to the devastating traumas that life throws at us.

When, I've never been homeless but in any experience the kind for antagonism and opposition you can face simply from being from having issues or not fitting into societal expectations or the mold can be quite extreme and unrelenting to the point where it is almost impossible to overcome or move beyond them. Not to mention, being in a less then desirable social or economic standing, turns you into a social pariah or proverbial leper. So yeah, there looks to be a substantial amount of supports, or at least gives that way on the surface, but in all honesty most of them do not work that well or make a difference. In my experience it's simply from the lack of public acceptance or support that will not allow said individuals to fully integrate back into society

For example, I'm from a really dysfunctional broken home, have always had artistic aspirations, and because of how I grew up, I was coming from a place not many people understood. In my experiences, no one cares at all. Of course, this is hardly an I'm not liberal anymore because I don't think it works, human beings are greedy and selfish. The last thing you can expect is for someone to understand a person behind their job title, and salary and appearance. Give me a break.

Basically, social assistance "welfare" and all of that? It barely afford you enough to survive because the cost of living is so high in BC.
It only really gives you the bare minimum to survive but then the cost of living is continually being raised all over, which only adds all the problem. Things like public housing, they have huge waiting lists, and can be wildly unpredictable and can take years to even be given housing. The rest of the public supports, they are quite minimal and not worth mentioning. I suppose the homeless shelter? They're nasty as hell.

As far as jobs or employment goes, even if you're young not having a great resume is almost like having a criminal record. Plus, people will almost discriminate or just have way too unreliable standards as well. If getting work or jobs was that easy, would most people even struggle financially or be on the streets? The whole notion that one can just walk into a facility or company and ask for a job is ridiculous. Not to mention how high standards are, is it even enough to have a college degree, no, Bachelor's? Then what about the debt incurred afterwards?

[Jim Dixon]

Mayor Colin Basran is encouraging the Kelowna RCMP to pursue criminal charges amongst the city’s homeless street population regardless of possible mental health or addiction problems they might have.

It is how Hitler started with the Jews.