Campers better off in athletic parks

Re: “Don’t let challenge of homelessness divide us,” Lisa Helps, June 20.

Here are my suggestions to Victoria Mayor Lisa Helps and her council for addressing homelessness during the COVID-19 pandemic:

1. Stop allowing campers to keep their tents and structures up 24/7, because there is little or no evidence that permanent encampments are improving social-distancing compliance. Other municipalities have not allowed camps to remain in place during daytime. Furthermore, the permanent camps seem to promote more anti-social and threatening behaviour, as occupants lay claim to “their” piece of Beacon Hill Park.

2. Move the encampments to an athletic park. Beacon Hill Park is the city’s flagship park with the highest use levels and an array of amenities that are not conducive to being shared with homeless camps, including children’s playgrounds, a children’s farm, water parks, lawn bowling, horticultural displays and extensive natural areas. While I would hate to impose a park-based tent city on any neighbourhood, the impact on an athletic park would be much less than at Beacon Hill Park.

3. Acknowledge that there are significant elements of criminality associated with tent cities, and that those residents that are becoming frightened to use the park have legitimate concerns. We do need a police force, in addition to the other social supports that homeless campers have access to. Please desist with this ideological nonsense of defunding police forces.

Doug Johnson Victoria