“Scapegoating: the act of blaming a person or group for something bad that has happened or that someone else has done. Example: the scapegoating of immigrants for the country’s economic problems.” – Cambridge Dictionary
While it is easy to blame the unhoused population for their predicament, all of the recent ‘Point In Time’ (PIT) suggest they are indications of a much larger problem.
Continue reading The #1 cause of homelessness
Editor’s Note: While Campbell River is two ferry trips away, it is the central hub for supplies and local government in our area. All Cortes Island residents periodically pass though Campbell River and the affordable housing crisis is found in every community. (See the charts at the bottom of this page.)
Campbell River’s latest ‘Point in Time’ (PIT) Count found 197 homeless people within the city limits. 65% of them have been in Campbell River for at least five years, and 22% were born there. They are sleeping outside, in vehicles, or in someone else’s home. When asked, a third of them reported not earning enough money to pay rent.
“If they’re not in public places, if they are shuffled along back into alleys or nooks and crannies, they are targets. That is one of the reasons they congregate in public together. It’s safe. I can’t tell you how many people I’ve run into over the last year that have got a cast, or their heads wrapped up or they’re on crutches or whatever,” explained Sue Moen, who worked for the Salvation Army prior to her retirement.
“It’s like, ‘Bylaw Enforcement pushed us along. We hung out in this alley. Four guys showed up (not members of the unhoused community), beat us all up and stole all our stuff.’”
Cortes Currents asked Moen for her impressions of a series of motions the City of Campbell River passed at their October 10 meeting.
Continue reading Solving Campbell River’s homeless crisis(This post was originally published on Oct 13, additional material and audio added Oct 16)
There was an enormous public response to the city of Campbell River’s proposed Permissive Tax Exemption (PTE) cuts, made at the September 28 Council Meeting. Hundreds of people wrote letters and emails protesting this action and Campbell River was criticized by BC’s MInistry of Housing. Consequently, most of the cuts were rescinded on Friday Oct 12, 2023..
Continue reading Campbell River rescinds Permissive Tax Exemption cutsThe city of Campbell River intends to remove the Campbell River Art Gallery’s (CRAG) tax exemption, and will not allow the gallery to make a presentation at the October 12 council meeting where the final decision will be made.
At the September 28 meeting, Councillor Ron Kerr moved to have the CRAG’s exemption and that of the Vancouver Island Mental Health Society removed because of their ‘bad behaviour.’
Continue reading Campbell River Art Gallery may be muzzled, but community speaks outEditor’s note: Campbell City Council did remove the tax exemptions, but is currently in discussion with the art gallery.
At their September 28 Council meeting, the city of Campbell River took the first steps towards removing the tax exemptions from the Campbell River Art Gallery (CRAG) and Vancouver Island Mental Health. Councillor Ron Kerr made the motions, which were approved, with only Councillor Tanille Johnston voting in opposition. City staff informed council this was a change of direction which affected the budget and there would need to be a second meeting before the exemptions can be removed. This has been scheduled for October 12.
Continue reading Campbell River to remove tax exemptions from Art Gallery and Mental Health
