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Vancouver Seeks to Avoid Tragedy, Make Shelters More Practical

Posted by: Alek Miller

4 November 2009 - 8:00am

Homeless people may avoid seeking help or services because there is a lack of space secure their belongings in shelters. The death of a homeless woman in Vancouver last winter highlights the severity of the problem.

"When British Columbia Housing Minister Rich Coleman last week introduced the Assistance to Shelter Act, he said the legislation would 'help to prevent tragedies such as the one that occurred last winter when a woman died trying to keep warm in a makeshift shelter.'"

"Of about 25 homeless shelters in Vancouver, only three – the remaining facilities from a group of five HEAT (Homeless Emergency Action Team) sites set up late last year – officially accommodate carts.

For critics of the legislation, the cart issue highlights concerns that the law, while well-intentioned, may result in some homeless people avoiding police and outreach workers out of fear they could lose their belongings."

Full Story: Vancouver homeless need their belongings accounted for, critics say
Source: The Globe and Mail, November 1, 2009
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