Victoria's courthouse campers concerned about living conditions, delays

There isgrowing concern about the living conditions at a homeless camp in Victoria after a series of wind and rain storms, but there's still no word on when a new shelter space will open.

FredWalker is among about 80 people now camping on the small piece ofprovincial land beside the Victoria courthouse.

"It's been horrible. It's been absolutely horrible," Walker said of the weatherwhile trying tomake repairs to his tent. Thewind damaged thestitching,causingit to leak.

"It's just more stress, compounded stress."

Walkersaid he is camping on the courthouse lawn because hereceives disability payments,but has not been able to find a place to live onhis budget of $375 a month.

He said he hopesa rent subsidy will soon come through to assist in his search for a home.

Sanitation is also a worry as the courthouse campsite grows.

Three portable toilets were dropped off several weeks ago, butRev.Al Tysick with the Dandelion Society saidmore needs to be done.

"It's just not enough. Those three either have to cleaned more or we have to put in more porta pottiesfor the number of people who are there," said Tysick, whochecks on the campers each morning.

Plan for new shelter

The province is still working on a plan toopen a new around-the-clock shelter in response to the tent city. The siteisalso expected tooffer meals and health services.

But it's taking time to find a location and to arrange for an organization to run the space.

The delay does not surprise Grant McKenzie with the outreach societyOur Place.

He said significant staff will be needed to keep the new shelter open 24 hours a day, and finding a location neighbours won't complain about can be difficult.

"It's very difficult. You are talking about a lot of staff, a lot of talking with neighbours of the potential sites," he said.

People camping at the courthousehave been reluctant to use existing shelter space in Victoria, but Premier Christy Clark said this week that everyone will be expected to move once they have been offered somewhere else to go.

Walker worries meaningfulefforts to find housing for the homeless in Victoria will fade away once the shelter is open.

"The government is embarrassed.They don't want people seeing this," he said. "They just want to warehouse us and push us away."