East Village: Success or a long ways away yet?

[DougB]

I'll say, renewing the Drop-In Centre lease meant that this area was going to be a hub for social issues for the foreseeable future. I think we all said that at the time of the lease renewal.

I don't blame the DIC itself, it is probably the people who don't get in or get kicked out and then stay in the area that are the issue.

Investing a lot of money into EV made it nice and new but didn't remove an issue that made it a poor investment for developers. I won't be surprised if Victoria Park builds out before EV has developed all of its parking lots.

Yet the Mustard Seed and Salvation Army shelters don't seem to create anywhere hear the social disorder as does the DIC

 

[CalgaryTiger]

Yet the Mustard Seed and Salvation Army shelters don't seem to create anywhere hear the social disorder as does the DIC

Although they might seem the same, I would argue the loitering on the outside of the DIC is much more significant than either of those. I worked across from the Mustard Seed and cannot remember any loitering at all.

 

[ByeByeBaby]

The homeless / drug problem is something that is exploding nationwide. Nobody has a solution for it, politicians argue about it, but nobody has any real solutions. At some point involuntary treatment will be proposed, but that's a slippery slope from a civil liberties standpoint. EV now has the bones to be a great area, just need to somehow address this one major issue first.

A real solution exists, and is cheaper than status quo, but it may not be popular enough. The solution to people not having homes is to give those people homes. It feels expensive, because it's capital not operating, but in the long run it's cheaper. It feels bad to some people because they like to think that they have some personal quality that keeps them from not having a home, and thus people without homes don't 'deserve' help.

 

[Mountain Man]

A real solution exists, and is cheaper than status quo, but it may not be popular enough. The solution to people not having homes is to give those people homes. It feels expensive, because it's capital not operating, but in the long run it's cheaper. It feels bad to some people because they like to think that they have some personal quality that keeps them from not having a home, and thus people without homes don't 'deserve' help.

Free housing sounds great, but it does nothing for the crisis in mental health, and that seems to be more at the heart of the problem. Any solution needs to be multifaceted, and in my mind needs to start with mental health. I feel like are always trying to solve the problem by dealing with the symptoms of it, but never the root cause.

 

[ByeByeBaby]

Free housing sounds great, but it does nothing for the crisis in mental health, and that seems to be more at the heart of the problem. Any solution needs to be multifaceted, and in my mind needs to start with mental health. I feel like are always trying to solve the problem by dealing with the symptoms of it, but never the root cause.

Is it easier or harder to consistently make therapy appointments if you have a safe, consistent place to sleep and to keep your belongings?
Is it easier or harder to attend substance abuse counselling or programs if you have a safe, consistent place to sleep and to keep your belongings?
Is it easier or harder to regularly take your psychiatric medications if you have a safe, consistent place to sleep and to keep your belongings?
Is it easier or harder to avoid traumatic events if you have a safe, consistent place to sleep and to keep your belongings?

Sure sounds like it does something for mental health to me. Would your mental health be as good if you were living on the street? Mine sure wouldn't.

 

[DougB]

Although they might seem the same, I would argue the loitering on the outside of the DIC is much more significant than either of those. I worked across the from the Mustard Seed and cannot remember any loitering at all.

Why is that? Does the Mustard Seed have better services, attract a different demographic, have different rules?

 

[HudsonA08]

This is why new areas like the new HomeSpace is so good as they are building these spaces with wrap around services as well as semi-permanent housing spaces. Need more of this built.

 

[CalgaryTiger]

Why is that? Does the Mustard Seed have better services, attract a different demographic, have different rules?

In replying to your thought I wondered the same thing... I do not know the services offered at any of these spaces so I'm bit out of my depth. Nevertheless, the answer must be all of the above. They must attract a different set of clientele because of the services offered or the way they offer them. I believe the Mustard Seed does have a tie to a religion (there is a cross on their building), maybe that factors in?

 

[Surrealplaces]

I think we need to bite the bullet and spend money on housing for the homeless. It's not going to solve the issue, but it will help a certain percentage. What the percentage is anyone's guess, but Finland's housing first program decreased the number of homeless by 68%. I'm not saying we'd get the same results here, but even decreasing by a third or half would make a big difference. We could then concentrate on the remaining amount, and that becomes a more difficult conversation.

 

[Urban Outdoorsman]

I have a number of family and personal connections with the DIC and other shelters and my guess is that the main difference is that some shelters are dry and other not. I.e., some shelters will let anyone in regardless of how high/drunk they are, whereas others expect clients to be more or less sober when they enter the building. Not sure about the other shelters in Calgary but I'm pretty that the DIC pretty much let's anyone in unless they're caught carrying weapons. So it's probably a self selection issue with the roughest people all ending up at the DIC

 

[Unknown User]

Is it easier or harder to consistently make therapy appointments if you have a safe, consistent place to sleep and to keep your belongings?
Is it easier or harder to attend substance abuse counselling or programs if you have a safe, consistent place to sleep and to keep your belongings?
Is it easier or harder to regularly take your psychiatric medications if you have a safe, consistent place to sleep and to keep your belongings?
Is it easier or harder to avoid traumatic events if you have a safe, consistent place to sleep and to keep your belongings?

Sure sounds like it does something for mental health to me. Would your mental health be as good if you were living on the street? Mine sure wouldn't.

Just to add, there is proof within Alberta that a housing first strategy works.

https://nextcity.org/urbanist-news/medicine-hat-alberta-canada-city-chronic-homelessness

Sounds like MH has had a bit of a back slide since they declared they had ended chronic homelessness, everywhere has post covid. I'm sure Calgary and Edmonton are taking cues from MH but I think a leap in dedication to funding would pay dividends, however people will continue to be short sighted on this.

 

[Mountain Man]

Is it easier or harder to consistently make therapy appointments if you have a safe, consistent place to sleep and to keep your belongings?
Is it easier or harder to attend substance abuse counselling or programs if you have a safe, consistent place to sleep and to keep your belongings?
Is it easier or harder to regularly take your psychiatric medications if you have a safe, consistent place to sleep and to keep your belongings?
Is it easier or harder to avoid traumatic events if you have a safe, consistent place to sleep and to keep your belongings?

Sure sounds like it does something for mental health to me. Would your mental health be as good if you were living on the street? Mine sure wouldn't.

So these are all good points, not going to argue them, but I think you have missed what I'm saying. Mental health is a life long issue that we need to start screening for and treating, before people end up on the street. Yes it's easier to get an appointment and get a prescription if you have a house, so lets try to keep people housed and stable so that they don't end up on the stree in the first place. In our system currently, you sink or swim and nobody is there to help you if it looks like you can't ever swim.

 

[CalgaryTiger]

we need to start screening for and treating, before people end up on the street.

There is no greater knowledge of this than in the education system. Outside of an open minded and mental health conscious parent there is likely no one else in our lives that knew us like our elementary teachers did. How do you use this resource to identify and help people, that I do not know. The resources are not there now and some will always get through the cracks but IMO that is where the difference in our society can be made.

Exceptional funding for education is the best investment we can make in society, it is often overlooked in this discussion.

 

[Mountain Man]

There is no greater knowledge of this than in the education system. Outside of an open minded and mental health conscious parent there is likely no one else in our lives that knew us like our elementary teachers did. How do you use this resource to identify and help people, that I do not know. The resources are not there now and some will always get through the cracks but IMO that is where the difference in our society can be made.

Exceptional funding for education is the best investment we can make in society, it is often overlooked in this discussion.

I would add family doctors, your GP should have a good idea, but maybe testing mental health for children and adolescents should just be part of our annual checkup as kids.

 

[CalgaryTiger]

I would add family doctors, your GP should have a good idea, but maybe testing mental health for children and adolescents should just be part of our annual checkup as kids.

I see the logic here, I just don’t know if 10 minutes and a parent answering questions is going to identify what a teacher seeing the child for 8 hours sees. I have a lot of family in education so perhaps I’m biased.