Victoria city councillor Ben Isitt proposes options to replace tent city

As the potential demise of Victoria'stent city looms, aVictoria city councillorsays the city should be preparedto build another one but this time with supports in place.

"I think if the city and the province had stepped in back in November, we could have established a facility and not had the anarchy that has prevailed," Coun. BenIsittsaid.

Last week, the provincial government recently applied foran early injunction to shut down the homeless campat the courthouse, citing safety issues.

A report from city staff says the city has spent more than $500,000 dealing with theimpacts of the campsince itbegan last fall.

With the potential shutdown around the corner,Isittargues the supervised camp idea is worth another look.

The province is promising to buy two buildings soon to serve as social housing. Isittsays if the campers remain, he will call for the city and province to work together on a managed camp,likely on vacant industrial land near the downtown core.

Camp proposed at Topaz Park

Last spring, Isittproposed creating a small homelesscamp at Topaz Park. Heargued thatworking with a service provider to manage homeless campers would be better and cheaper than having them spread around the city.

Council backed away from the ideaafter intense backlash. But a few short months later,homeless campers created their own tent city on the provincially-owned courthouse lawn.

Victoria Mayor Lisa Helps said she believes small managed camps could work,but she wouldn't propose one now.

"We've kind of ruined things as far as the innovation that can happen because of the way this tent city has played out, and I think that's veryvery unfortunate," she said.

Helps says the two buildings the province is promising to buy should giveall the campers a place to go.

With files from Keith Vass