Really?? 3.2 million for homeless in Kelowna

[common_sense_guy]

I cannot fathom the stupidity an absolute disregard for taxpayers money when I just read the federal government is providing 3.2 million to help make camping spots better for the homeless in Kelowna. I do not know how to add a link in this case. Maybe a mod can help me.
According to the homeless Hub website that helps look after the homeless in Kelowna there are a minimum total of 286 homeless people in Kelowna as of 2018. Now let's just assume that number is even double. Which it probably isnt because they paid for studies to go out and find out who was homeless and who is not. The homeless hub have website will give you a complete breakdown of where they think the homeless are and what their individual situations are.
So as taxpayers we are going to spend 3.2 million to make their campsites better overnight. Even if there were five hundred homeless people in Kelowna that comes to about $6,400 per homeless person to make their camping lifestyle better. Is this really what we should be spending exorbitant amounts of money on. Are they freaking kidding. For that kind of price we can afford to go buy them a truck and camper or a vehicle and a trailer .I cannot believe this. Am I missing something here. What kind of idiot thinks this is money well spent. Seriously. Every major city has major parks we as taxpayers already maintained with our tax money. Let them use that buy them all a really nice tent. When does the madness end

https://www.castanet.net/news/Kelowna/3 ... r-homeless

[Sige]

I was thinking the same thing

[Kyoddie56]

*bleep*,,when does this end…

[Kyoddie56]

Here it is, absolutely ridiculous. Those thieving drug addicted fools don,t deserve anything


The City of Kelowna has received $3.2 million for improved outdoor camping spaces for homeless residents of the community.

The grant provided by the federal and provincial governments through UBCM will go towards reimbursement for construction and operation of the purpose-built overnight camping location at Richter Street and Weddell Place.

The funds will also be used for a day-use site with personal storage, outreach support services and access to personal hygiene services. An awareness campaign will be launched to reduce the stigma around homelessness.

PEOPLE Employment Services, Metro Community, Ki-Low-Na Friendship Society and the Canadian Mental Health Association will also benefit from the grant.

“It’s a substantial achievement and I’m very pleased to see this grant awarded to the City of Kelowna,” said Mayor Colin Basran.

“The COVID-19 pandemic, the opioid crisis, a challenging housing market, and lack of affordable housing have added complexity to the housing landscape in the last year and contributed to the dynamic nature of homelessness.”

Basran says the grant shows all levels of government are working together to improve conditions for people dealing with homelessness.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has been a challenge for us all, but it has been acutely felt by people in Kelowna who are sheltering outdoors,” said Darren Caul, community safety director.

“The goal of this grant is to improve health and safety specifically for this population. We’ve worked with the Lived Experience Circle on Homelessness to develop a comprehensive plan to improve conditions for people sheltering outdoors and we’re eager to take this funding and put the plan into action.”

[twofingers]

Here’s my suggestion, and it makes as much sense to me as the whole program does.
Get Robert Riley Saunders to look after the financial administration of the program. I don’t think he’s doing anything, and he most certainly has experience dealing with the -provincial government and various banks…

[BC Landlord]

*bleep*,,when does this end…

At the ballot box, hopefully.

[Anonymous123]

I cannot fathom the stupidity an absolute disregard for taxpayers money when I just read the federal government is providing 3.2 million to help make camping spots better for the homeless in Kelowna. I do not know how to add a link in this case. Maybe a mod can help me.
According to the homeless Hub website that helps look after the homeless in Kelowna there are a minimum total of 286 homeless people in Kelowna as of 2018. Now let's just assume that number is even double. Which it probably isnt because they paid for studies to go out and find out who was homeless and who is not. The homeless hub have website will give you a complete breakdown of where they think the homeless are and what their individual situations are.
So as taxpayers we are going to spend 3.2 million to make their campsites better overnight. Even if there were five hundred homeless people in Kelowna that comes to about $6,400 per homeless person to make their camping lifestyle better. Is this really what we should be spending exorbitant amounts of money on. Are they freaking kidding. For that kind of price we can afford to go buy them a truck and camper or a vehicle and a trailer .I cannot believe this. Am I missing something here. What kind of idiot thinks this is money well spent. Seriously. Every major city has major parks we as taxpayers already maintained with our tax money. Let them use that buy them all a really nice tent. When does the madness end

https://www.castanet.net/news/Kelowna/3 ... r-homeless

And yet I live 5 minutes from the mall and 5 minutes from Rotary beach and the City can’t seem to find the grants and or funding to provide myself and my neighbours with decent water and sewer. *bleep*.

[common_sense_guy]

Every step of the way somebody's pocket is being filled. I can take care of three hundred homeless people in Kelowna and give them their own place for probably two hundred thousand a year. I've said my idea in the past but here's a quick recap of how I would do it .
Give a tax break to somebody that owns an empty lot. Have the community donate or buy for very little trailers and campers to set up there in that lot. Hook them all into propane for their heaters for the winter and plug in their Campers or trailers for all their electrical. Now you've given them their own home that they can actually call their own and take pride in and upkeep. Give them incentives by allowing them to put money aside towards the next upgrade available within the homeless Park let's call it.. so for example to get your foot in the door you take what you can get to get in which might be a small camper. But when you put money aside when the next upgrade in accommodation becomes available you could possibly get it. Imagine the feeling that would give them to be working towards something. Mentally it would be more empowering than a handout from a government that doesn't really care.
And of course that would cost next to nothing so where the real cost would be is gated of course but also have 24-hour security to make sure all the residents are abiding by the rules or they get the boot to someone more deserving
And I think if something like that were there it would be cheap and beneficial start garden areas for each person to have their own little garden. It sounds silly but it would be extremely cheap and I would think it would make a homeless person be able to take pride in something that they control and look after for their own benefit at the end of it all. Now you're also helping with their mental health State and depression when they can have a place to call their own. A secure place, a place with their own garden or little patio.
But no instead we're going to throw ten times that amount of money to contractors developers and Engineers to make their camping areas nicer.
I truly believe with some of my ideas you would be helping improve their mental state as well as their physical state.
And just to clarify my ideas are more for the truly homeless and not as much for the mentally unstable. If you don't allow addicts into the homeless Park. It gives addicts a place aspire to work to get to.a place to try and start again and to be safe from the drugs when they do want to get out.

[polelady]

Seems like fuddle duddle to me... 3.0 million will be for studies and new hires... etc... and the cirus goes round and round... if anyone can held accountable let name the person and see what happens...lol

[Eyeswideopen]

I will be curious what they plan to spend this on. If you ride your bike on the bike trails downtown by sunrype the homeless camps are quite the eyesore. They have an area set up for them with porta potties and water stations so that costs money but I didn't think it would cost that much. Something does need to be done though. I live out near Orchard park mall and in the summer you get homeless people camping out around here and sleeping under trees. A lot of them seem to be drug addicts.

[Tankur]

This is great news. For the homeless. As well as the city. Hopeful for a cleanup and designated area

[crookedmember]

Looks like a smart use of money to me. It will also be spent on sanitation, support, mental health, finding jobs for some of these people, and perhaps to integrate some of them back into the community.

Some of you spend a whole lot of time railing at the homeless problem. Don't beach when someone tries to do something about it.

[gman313]

I cannot fathom the stupidity an absolute disregard for taxpayers money when I just read the federal government is providing 3.2 million to help make camping spots better for the homeless in Kelowna. I do not know how to add a link in this case. Maybe a mod can help me.
According to the homeless Hub website that helps look after the homeless in Kelowna there are a minimum total of 286 homeless people in Kelowna as of 2018. Now let's just assume that number is even double. Which it probably isnt because they paid for studies to go out and find out who was homeless and who is not. The homeless hub have website will give you a complete breakdown of where they think the homeless are and what their individual situations are.
So as taxpayers we are going to spend 3.2 million to make their campsites better overnight. Even if there were five hundred homeless people in Kelowna that comes to about $6,400 per homeless person to make their camping lifestyle better. Is this really what we should be spending exorbitant amounts of money on. Are they freaking kidding. For that kind of price we can afford to go buy them a truck and camper or a vehicle and a trailer .I cannot believe this. Am I missing something here. What kind of idiot thinks this is money well spent. Seriously. Every major city has major parks we as taxpayers already maintained with our tax money. Let them use that buy them all a really nice tent. When does the madness end

https://www.castanet.net/news/Kelowna/3 ... r-homeless

you think that is bad wait until i tell you what they have done with our money over the Vid

[one wheel]

Another $3.2 million for what ? Isn't there a Kelowna bylaw that says when shelters & outdoor camping spaces are available that the homeless must not be sleeping in doorways etc. ?
The United Church at Bernard Ave. & Richter St. suffered a fire in their doorway last night, it was probably caused by people sleeping there ?
A problem with the new outdoor camping space built at Richter St. & Weddell Pl. is that if the homeless use it they must pack up every day so the result is some camp anywhere but there ?

How much has been spent for No Panhandling signs & flower planters placed on intersection islands to discourage this practice ?
The bylaws that are currently in place are not enforced & the homeless know this.

Getting more money to solve the problem might sound warm & fuzzy but if no one is accountable it will just evaporate by having everything studied to death.

[Mrmarvingardens]

If posters bothered to read the details of the grant, they would learn that a large portion of the money will go to the city of Kelowna as reimbursement for all the land work, landscaping and site preparation that they have done.Some will go to storage and sanitation facilities.
Quite likely the city bumped their costs in order to receive the money.
Case in point is the latest example of the just completed bike lanes/roadway on Ethel:
hundreds of yards of concrete, for curbs, bump outs, endless dangerous signs on metal poles all along the route, speed limit signs; (40kmh) obstruction signs; yield to bikes; crosswalk .. on and on....The federal government chipped in over 2 million...much of what is there is totally unnecessary, but the city had to spend the money.