Agenda Index City of Vancouver

ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT

TO:

Standing Committee on Planning and Environment

FROM:

Director of Current Planning in consultation with the Director of Social Planning, Chief Constable, Director of Non-Market Operations, Director of Facilities Development and Director of Finance.

SUBJECT:

The Dugout - Proposed Initiatives for Community Conflict Resolution

 

RECOMMENDATION

GENERAL MANAGER'S COMMENTS

COUNCIL POLICY

On July 28th, 1998, Council confirmed principles to guide the Program of Strategic Actions for the Downtown Eastside, Chinatown, Gastown and Strathcona, which include improving conditions at the street level and helping community people to find allies and seek a common future.

On September 21, 1999, Council approved funding of $2.5 M toward Downtown Eastside initiatives in the 2000-2002 Capital Plan.

PURPOSE AND SUMMARY

This report recommends Council endorse an agreement between a number of organizations in Gastown to help improve conditions for the patrons of the Dugout and address concerns raised by its neighbours. Currently between 75 and 200 people line up to get coffee and soup and to eat outdoors near the Dugout. It is proposed that this facility be renovated to seat about 75 people for breakfast and that the Haven be renovated to accommodate the overflow on an interim basis until alternative early morning breakfast programs can be provided for patrons who live outside of Gastown. It is estimated these improvements will cost a total of about $89,000, of which $77,000 is requested from the Downtown Eastside capital funds. The agreement also proposes initiatives to provide additional staff and volunteer training and to establish ongoing mechanisms to better resolve conflict with the community. The Dugout, Salvation Army, Gastown Community Policing Centre, Gastown Business Improvement Society, local merchants, Police and City staff have expressed a willingness to work together to help make these initiatives successful.

BACKGROUND

The Dugout is a drop-in centre at 59 Powell Street, operated by a coalition of church groups. Funding comes from the church groups, individual donations and grants. In 2001, Council approved a Community Services grant of $27,000 and an $8,800 grant in lieu of rent.

Since 1979 the Dugout has, with a brief hiatus for renovations in 1992, been located in the ground floor and basement of the Alexander Residence. This building, a 30 unit seniors housing building, is owned by the Vancouver Public Housing Corporation, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the City, and receives funding from the Federal/Provincial Partnership (CMHC and BCHMC).

While alcohol-related counselling is the organisation's primary focus, the Dugout has, for the past ten years, also provided food services both as a response to a need and as a point of contact for their core services. The food services currently includes an early morning breakfast which, as it is the only such service available at that hour, attracts between 75 and 200 people per day. A lunch program which resulted in lineups in front of the entrances to nearby storefronts and residences was voluntarily suspended by the Dugout in 1999 in an effort to respond to concerns raised by neighbours.

The patrons of the Dugout's breakfast program are for the most part (70%) SRO residents. The balance is split between residents of social housing and the currently homeless. About 60% live in Gastown and the remainder are from nearby parts of the Downtown Eastside. A number are struggling with drug, alcohol and mental health issues. The behaviour of some of the patrons has prompted complaints from some local residents and merchants, who cite fighting, public intoxication, public urination and drug-use as some examples of unacceptable impacts on their neighbourhood. From the point of view of many in the low-income community, the Dugout offers vital services, and they believe its closure or a scaling back of its services would contribute to the displacement of low-income residents. In September of 1999, the City engaged Darren Kitchen of the Main & Hastings Community Development Society as a consultant to attempt to reconcile the various interests and points of view involved.

DISCUSSION

Between September 1999 and the present, many meetings were held between representatives of the Dugout, the Gastown Business Improvement Society, the Gastown Community Safety Society, City staff and the consultant. The meetings were usually held at the Harbour Light as the Salvation Army, the owner of that facility, had generously offered its resources and good offices in the search for a solution. Also present for some of the earlier meetings werea number of local residents. The opinions of community Police officers were also sought when required.

While discussions originally focussed on the impacts of the early morning breakfast line-up outside the Dugout, it soon became clear that wider issues relating to the public realm in the eastern portion of Gastown could not be ignored. These issues included the presence of large quantities of discarded food in the alleyways and the apparent paucity of support for those undergoing a mental health or drug-related crisis while on the street. The discussions focussed on these issues and have resulted in agreement on a number of inter-related initiatives to attempt to improve conditions for patrons of the Dugout while addressing concerns raised by the neighbours. (See Appendix A.). The key points are outlined below:

Staffing and Training
First, the Dugout has re-deployed their staff and volunteer resources to better monitor the morning breakfast line-up. They are also applying for two Human Resources Development Canada (HRDC) sponsored staff to help monitor operations and develop programs. Every attempt will be made to recruit these staff from current volunteers at the Dugout, however it is not clear if HRDC's funding structure will permit this. The City has also agreed to assist the Dugout by facilitating a staff and volunteer development process.

Conflict Resolution Processes
Second, relations between the Dugout, the Salvation Army, the Gastown Business Improvement Society, the Gastown Community Safety Society and the Community Police Office are to be strengthened. These organisations will form a working group to ensure that neighbourhood issues are brought into a process for discussion and solution and will monitor and evaluate the success of the initiatives proposed. The group will also work with the City to develop a Community Conflict Resolution Process and, together with the Community Police Office, meet with representatives of the Strathcona Mental Health Team and other agencies to attempt to secure a more effective response to inappropriate behaviour issues in the area.

Renovations to the Dugout
Third, the interior of the Dugout will be refurbished to provide additional seating and better food storage and preparation. All concerned agree that it is uncomfortable and undignified for patrons to have to line-up and eat outside. The conflicts surrounding the breakfast line-up stem in part from the Dugout's present inability to seat many people. The Salvation Army estimates that, redesigned, the interior could accommodate 75 people in comfort. The total cost of renovating the Dugout is $74,000, of which $12,000 will come from BC Housing Management Corporation's Modernization and Improvement Fund for building upgrades which includes the Alexander Residence's social housing.

Other Early Morning Breakfast Programs
The Dugout is the only facility offering free food at the early hour of 7 AM. Even were the Dugout able to seat 75, this would not likely suffice. This is especially true during the busier winter months, when up to 200 people require its services daily. Staff and the consultant are working with the organizations that provide food in the area to seek ways to improve the effectiveness of these services. Part of this work includes establishing at least one other early morning breakfast program outside of Gastown to serve residents east of Main Street.

The Haven
In the interim, a temporary solution is proposed. Beginning in November, it is proposed that a free breakfast service to supplement that at the Dugout be operated from the Salvation Army's Haven shelter on Cordova Street, less than two blocks from the Dugout. This program will serve people referred from the Dugout when the Dugout is full, thus ensuring minimal overflow onto surrounding streets. To help patrons encounter a familiar environment, the Haven program will be operated as a partnership between the Dugout and the Salvation Army.

A City grant of up to a maximum of $15,000 is requested for the needed furniture ($9,000 for bunk beds, tables, chairs, hot plate, and office equipment) and renovations ($6,000 for interior windows, doors and security hardware). Should the final costs exceed $15,000, the Salvation Army has agreed to cover any overruns. In addition, the Salvation Army has agreed to invest approximately $75,000 of its own funds required to bring this building up to a higher level of life safety (sprinklers, electrical system, fire alarms, roof repair).

To carry out this interim solution, the Haven 's development permit will have to be amended to permit this use on a time limited basis of up to one year to allow time for the development of an alternative breakfast program as described above. Given the community support for this initiative, it is recommended that this amendment be expedited. After the temporary breakfast program is terminated, the furniture will be transferred to other services in the community.

Artwork
Finally, should the above initiatives be judged effective in improving conditions for patrons and addressing the neighbours' concerns, the City will work with the Dugout, local merchants and the Gastown Business Improvement Society to study the feasibility of creating opportunities for local artists to produce their artwork at the Dugout. This may include allowing local art to be produced on a table outside the Dugout. Should these initiatives prove successful and subject to successful consultation with merchants and residents, this might later be extended to other sites east of Maple Tree Square. The study will need to take into account the City's Street Vending Program. If upon completion of the assessment andconsultation such an initiative appears supportable, it will be brought forward through Engineering Services to City Council for consideration.

FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS

The 2000-2002 Capital Plan included $2.5 million as the City's contribution to projects associated with revitalization of the Downtown Eastside including Gastown. These funds are being allocated to the capital budget over the three years of the plan, with funding for specific projects subject to Council approval. Thus far Council has approved a total of $1,625,000 for projects from this fund to help attract new businesses to the area, reduce the number of licensed pub seats and to make improvements to the public realm. $875,000 remains.

It is recommended that up to $77,000 be allocated from the 2001 capital budget assigned to the Downtown Eastside for the renovations to the Dugout and a grant to the Salvation Army for improvements to the Haven. Funding for community conflict resolution and training Dugout staff will be allocated from the City of Vancouver sponsored National Crime Prevention Centre fund.

CONCLUSION

Implementation of the proposed Initiatives will both improve conditions for patrons of the Dugout and help address issues raised by neighbouring residents and businesses. The agreement represents an important first step in addressing community issues at a local level and holds out the hope of further progress in this regard. All parties should be commended for working together through some difficult issues to achieve a consensus to undertake the initiatives described in this report.

ATTACHMENTS THAT DO NOT HAVE ELECTRONIC COPY ARE AVAILABLE ON FILE IN THE CITY CLERK'S OFFICE

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