[All six Downtown Eastside reports, including the report on this page, the report entitled Building a Common Future and four discussion papers, are available on the City website. The discussion papers are:  Background Paper on Drug Treatment Needs in Vancouver; A Housing Plan for the Downtown Eastside, Chinatown, Gastown and Strathcona; The Victory Square Area Concept Plan; and The Gastown Land Use Plan ]

POLICY REPORT

SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT

Date: July 17, 1998

Author/local: NEdelson/7444

CC File No. 8104

TO:	Vancouver City Council
FROM:	General Manager of Community Services, in consultation with Directors of Legal Services and Finance, General Manager of Engineering Services, Manager of Real Estate Services and Chief Constable
SUBJECT:	A Program of Strategic Actions for the Downtown Eastside

 

 

 

 

 

 

RECOMMENDATIONS

A.THAT the following principles be confirmed to guide the Program of Strategic Actions for the Downtown Eastside:

i) Reduce the Incidence of Drug Addiction;

ii) Reduce Drug-Related Crime;

iii) Improve Conditions at the Street Level;

iv)Improve Existing SROs and Build Replacement Low-Income Housing; and

v)Help Community People to Find Allies and Seek a Common Future.

B.THAT Council urge the Minister of Children and Families and the Minister of Health (through the Vancouver/Richmond Health Board when appropriate) to implement, as a matter of urgency, effective and adequate drug detox and residential treatment services at appropriate locations in the Lower Mainland and throughout the Province (Actions 1.1 and 1.3a in Appendix A).

C.THAT Council urge the Attorney General to direct Crown prosecutors to aggressively pursue violent crimes and major drug offences involving cocaine and heroin, including seeking higher sentences (Action 2.3b in Appendix A).

D.THAT Council direct the City Manager and Chief Constable to bring forward for Council’s approval an application for funding to the recently announced Federal community safety initiative for the Downtown Eastside (Action 2.6 in Appendix A).

E.THAT Council urge the Attorney General to instruct the Liquor Licencing Board:

i)to implement aggressive enforcement of all violations of liquor regulations in liquor outlets in the Downtown Eastside(Action 3.5a and 3.5b in Appendix A); and

ii)to regulate the sale of high alcohol beverages such as rice wine and that once it is regulated to aggressively enforce all violations involving its sale in the Downtown Eastside(Action 3.5c in Appendix A).

F.THAT Council direct the Chief Licensing Officer, in cooperation with the Downtown Eastside Neighbourhood Integrated Services Team, to ensure aggressive enforcement of:

i)applicable by-laws against businesses with negative impacts in the Downtown Eastside (Action 2.1 in Appendix A); and

ii)the Standards of Maintenance By-law in SRO accommodations in the Downtown Eastside (Action 4.1 in Appendix A).

G.THAT Council request the Minister of Health and the Vancouver/Richmond Health Board to meet with Council to discuss how funds established for accommodation and support of people with mental illness can be directed to eligible members of the Downtown Eastside community (Action 4.5 in Appendix A).

H. THAT Council direct the General Manager of Community Services and the Manager of Real Estate Services to report back by December 1998 on proposals to attract legitimate businesses to Hastings Street in the Downtown Eastside (Action 3.1 in Appendix A).

I.THAT Council authorize the following programs until the end of 1999, with 1998 funding to be provided from Contingency Reserve:

i)Outdoor Street Programming, at a cost of $110,000 per year, with $35,000 for 1998 (Action 3.3 in Appendix A); and

ii)Testing potential for a program to help resolve differences and build common community interests at a cost of $60,000 per year, with $20,000 for 1998 (Action 5.1 in Appendix A);

AND THAT staff report back on results of these programs in mid-1999.

J.THAT the Mayor invite the Minister of Health, the Attorney General, the Minister of Children and Families, the Minister of Municipal Affairs and the Minister responsible for Housing to meet immediately and every six months thereafter to review progress on addressing community issues in the Downtown Eastside.

K.THAT Council direct staff to pursue the following to secure the ongoing participation of senior levels of government and the public in implementing the Program of Strategic Actions for the Downtown Eastside:

i)convene the ‘City Caucus’ of elected representatives of all governments to initially discuss the Program for Strategic Actions and cooperation on these and other actions as soon as possible;

ii)create a tri-governmental ‘Downtown Eastside Sponsor Committee’ of elected officials to oversee implementation of the agreed upon actions in this Plan, reframe this Plan for cross-government consensus and monitor ongoing work;

iii)create a tri-governmental ‘Downtown Eastside Staff Committee’ to provide a mechanism for Provincial and Federal Governments to effectively fulfill their responsibilities with the City and to coordinate direct actions in the area and support the ‘Sponsor Committee’; and

iv)develop an advisory linkage, including local community, business and other interests, to the ‘Sponsor’ and ‘Staff’ Committees and all ongoing programs.

CITY MANAGER’S COMMENTS

The Downtown Eastside attracts people from throughout the City and region to its drug market and liquor establishments and is no longer a safe community for its residents. The City Manager agrees with this report’s short-term directions:

•a strong emphasis on addressing the urgent need for drug enforcement and treatment investment by the Province;

•aggressive enforcement of City by-laws;

•initiation of City efforts at enhancing street activity and community development; and

•continued commitment to City housing efforts.

It is important to establish clear objectives for all the programs directed to changes in the area. These objectives must include a reduction in crime, particularly drug-related offences; reduction in problems in SROs as measured by the City’s inspections; reduction in problems in businesses operating in the area, as measured by police and Permits and Licenses inspections; and reduction in operating problems and liquor violations experienced, as measured by police and LCLB inspections. Objectives for the area should also include establishment of new businesses and construction of replacement alcohol- and drug- free housing.

It is also important to note that any direction which seeks to control drug usage and alcohol abuse in the Downtown Eastside has the potential to distribute these issues over a broader area of the City and region. Such policies assume that the problem can be managed more readily in other areas, where anti-social activity will be less intense, the City is able to provide more effective control over business activities and the police are able to deliver police services more effectively with the cooperation of the community. A long term strategy for the Downtown Eastside should address this concern explicitly to ensure that City and other government action does not merely relocate the problems, but reduces them.

COUNCIL POLICY

Housing Policies

In October and May 1989, Council resolved to:

…580…"Adopt the broad objective of maintaining, upgrading and increasing the existing stock of core need housing in the Downtown;…580

…580…Foster the social development of Vancouver as home to a wide variety of people with many different racial, ethnic, cultural backgrounds and social, economic lifestyles;…580

…580…Facilitate the provision of a wide range of housing forms and shelter costs to meet the needs of existing and future Vancouver residents of all backgrounds and lifestyles;…580

…580…Maintain and expand housing opportunities in Vancouver for low and moderate income households, with priority being given to Downtown lodging house residents, elderly people on fixed and limited incomes, the physically and mentally disabled, and single-parent families with children;…580

…580…Encourage the distribution of acceptable housing forms and affordable shelter costs equally among all residential neighbourhoods of Vancouver rather than concentrating them in a few areas."…580

Pawnshop and Second Hand Store Policies

On March 14 and April 9, 1996, Council adopted regulations to make it more difficult to sell stolen property in pawnshops and second hand stores and approved guidelines to prevent new stores of this type from locating near existing ones.

Liquor Licensing Policies

In October 1990, Council put a moratorium on new liquor licenses and additions to seating capacity in existing licensed establishments in the Downtown Eastside and Gastown areas.

In July 1996, Council adopted a Downtown Liquor Licensing Policy which contained measures to reduce the impacts of licensed establishments.

PURPOSE

This report proposes strategic actions to deal with the impacts of the illegal drug trade and to improve conditions at the street level and in the SRO hotels in the Downtown Eastside and nearby neighbourhoods. The objective is to help build on the community’s strengths and encourage others to help revitalize the area. In addition to increased enforcement and drug treatment services, this will be done by forming public/private partnerships, supporting community-based initiatives, and helping attract new businesses and other uses to the area.

BACKGROUND

Conditions in the Downtown Eastside have been a concern for many years. Recently the community has come under increasing pressure with the rapid rise of intravenous (IV) drug use, particularly the addition of cocaine, and the associated crime and disease. This has significantly reduced the quality of life for all residents and made it virtually impossible for many legitimate businesses to survive.

These problems have been compounded by the withdrawal of senior levels of government from their traditional roles in providing an array of treatment services for the mentally ill and those with addictions, as well as subsidized housing for low-income people. At the same time, actual and proposed development in the downtown - including International Village, City Gate and the expanded Trade and Convention Centre - may be bidding up property expectations. Some land prices in the area are not justified by present legal economic uses. This is likely undermining well-established housing and commercial services geared to the low- and moderate-income community.

Vancouver City Caucus

In November 1995, a Vancouver City Caucus was held with elected representatives from the three levels of government. It was agreed that action would be taken on the issues outlined below. As indicated, some progress has been made. However, the senior governments have yet to complete the actions which are within their jurisdiction and responsibility.

Drug Addiction:

There was discussion about the recommendations in the Cain Report which called for a number of actions related to drug addiction. There have been further discussions, but no action.

Reduction in Federal Government Transfers:

Concern was expressed by City and Provincial representatives about cutbacks in transfers which were felt to affect British Columbia, with its growing population, more than other provinces. Federal representatives noted that social services were cut back less than other programs. No action has been taken.

Non-Returnable Warrants:

The Province agreed to look into this matter with a view to returning criminals wanted on warrants in other provinces, to face the outstanding charges. Negotiations between the Federal government and the Provinces have not resulted in an agreement.

Liquor Licenses:

All levels of government agreed on the need for more cooperation and some additional regulation in this area. There is no formal intergovernmental enforcement strategy. However, the Provincial Liquor Control and Licensing Branch (LCLB) has participated in the Downtown Eastside Integrated Services Team and helped in developing the City’s Downtown Liquor Licensing Policy. It has also agreed to suspend the liquor license for any hotel whose business license has been suspended by the City for poor business practices in the pub or the SRO rooms. In addition, the LCLB has initiated public discussions about controlling the sale of high alcohol content cooking wines, but regulations have yet to be implemented.

Housing:

The Province committed to help provide a mix of social and market housing at the Woodward’s site. In association with the Woodward’s housing agreement, the City agreed to invest in Van City Place (312 W. Pender St.) which is now complete. However, negotiations between the Province, Woodward’s Coop and Fama Holdings have not been successful. The Province has assured there will be funding for a special allocation of about 200 additional social housing units in the area using the resources that would have gone to the Woodward’s project. However, no specific projects have been proposed.

Downsizing of Riverview Facility:

Concern was expressed about the rate at which deinstitutionalisation and downsizing was taking place and the lack of housing and services to integrate these people into the community. In January 1998, the Provincial Ministry of Health announced an initiative to add a wide range of services to house and better meet the needs of people with mental illness in different communities throughout the Province. However, to date, no specific projects have been proposed in the City.

Current Issues

Since the Caucus meeting, the City and Police Board have undertaken many initiatives in the area, including:

…580…Allocating more Police to walk the beat;…580

…580…Supporting neighbourhood safety offices in the Downtown Eastside, Chinatown, Gastown and Strathcona; …580

…580…Forming the Downtown Eastside Integrated Services Team to deal with problem premises and poorly managed SRO hotels;…580

…580…Amending zoning to prevent new secondhand stores and pawnshops;…580

…580…Increasing resources for lane and street cleaning;…580

…580…Augmenting the street lighting in the area; and…580

…580…Securing vacant buildings.…580

Other recent City actions are outlined in Appendix A. However, many of the community’s problems have increased beyond the scope of the City’s resources and powers. Senior governments have yet to make this area a priority for coordinated action. Currently there are five major areas which must be addressed:

Alcohol and Drugs:

Despite additional policing and other measures, the rise of intravenous cocaine and heroin use in the Downtown Eastside has continued. It is not only destroying the health of the addicts and yielding unprecedented high rates of HIV and AIDS, but also making the neighbourhood unlivable. In May 1997, the Ministry of Children and Families completed a review of alcohol and drug services and concluded that "too few resources have been allocated to address new and emerging issues". Several key facilities, including the Pender Detox and Salvation Army’s Harbour Light, have either closed or come under financial threat. In September 1997, the Vancouver/Richmond Health Board declared a Health Emergency as a result of the HIV epidemic.

Drug- and Alcohol-Related Crime:

The Downtown Eastside suffers from having the highest concentration of licensed liquor establishments and serves as the main centre for the illegal drug trade in the Province. These factors make it by far the leading area for violence as many people become intoxicated with legal and illegal substances. In 1997, there were almost 1,400 incidents of crime against persons- over 18% of the city’s total, in an area which contains only 3.3% of its population.

In addition, the availability of cheaper drugs has led to a significant amount of theft from auto and other property crimes. Many of the area’s pawnshops and second hand stores act as "fences" by reselling these stolen goods; many 24-hour stores provide a marketplace for drug activity. The regional focus is reflected in the fact that about 55% of those arrested for crimes committed in the Downtown Eastside were from outside the area.

Conditions at the Street Level:

Increased policing and stricter licensing enforcement have begun to have an impact as reported thefts from auto were down by 16% and drug arrests were up by 13% over the last year. However, the generally high levels of drug- and alcohol-related crime have created a profound sense of fear for most of those who currently live or work in the area. This is reinforced by the drug use and drunkenness which take place openly on the streets, lanes and in some of the SRO hotels. These conditions have driven many legitimate businesses out of the community and made it almost impossible to attract new ones. As a result, the physical condition of the Downtown Eastside has deteriorated to the point where there are many vacant buildings, declining standards of maintenance and, at times, considerable litter and garbage on the streets and lanes. These kinds of problems, which have been identified in the criminology literature as "broken windows", must be fixed so residents can regain safe access to the streets and to needed commercial and social services.

Poorly Managed SRO Hotels:

The Downtown Eastside contains almost 6,000 SRO rooms in 145 hotels and rooming houses. About 10% of these are unsafe; some are virtually unlivable. Others are under threat from conversion to tourist accommodation or redevelopment. Federal funding, which has facilitated the replacement of thousands of SROs with better low-income housing, has been eliminated.

Lack of Common Vision:

The profound pressures on the Downtown Eastside have resulted in considerably different visions and priorities as people from different income and ethnic groups struggle to survive or prosper under difficult conditions. Ways must be found to help resolve some of these disagreements so people can work together to deal with the area’s problems and to build a renewed community.

DISCUSSION

The issues facing the Downtown Eastside are unprecedented for Vancouver and are undermining the community’s health and economic viability. International media coverage has also begun to tarnish our reputation as one of the world’s most livable cities. This may affect the city’s economic health and development, particularly in tourism, but in other sectors as well. Several problems are so urgent that actions will have to be taken immediately. These actions are outlined below and described in Appendix A. Some are within the City’s sphere to act now; others require cooperation with senior levels of government or partnerships with the private sector and the local community. The actions which will be most effective in stemming the area’s downward spiral--particularly those related to criminal drug activity--are wholly within the responsibility of senior governments.

Objective 1: Reduce the Incidence of Drug Addiction

To improve the health of people who are addicted to drugs, to help people avoid and break the habit, and to break the link between drug addiction and crime, the commitment of significant resources is needed to develop a full array of detox, treatment, and ongoing support services. This is critical. If we are not successful in arresting the problem of addiction, everything else in this Program for Strategic Actions is just a band-aid. The alternatives, including the increased demand for courts, jails, and hospitals, as well as high death rates are unacceptable or very costly to society. Without treatment, those addicts who remain in the area will continue to impact residents and workers in the Downtown Eastside. All the actions which are needed now require that, in consultation with the City, the Ministry of Children and Families and other relevant Provincial and Federal Ministries, as well as the Vancouver/Richmond Health Board, meet their mandated responsibilities to:

…580…Fund and develop a Sobering Centre and to continue funding for transporting intoxicated people to needed services;…580

…580…Develop a Detox for intravenous (IV) drug users;…580

…580…Establish Residential Treatment Programs and Outpatient Treatment Programs for IV drug users; and …580

…580…Build drug-free housing.…580

The responsible governments, Provincial and Federal, should carry out further discussion and comprehensive planning with Vancouver and other municipalities to determine the most effective array of services required to provide the full continuum of drug and alcohol treatment and prevention to best serve the region over the next five years. In the meantime, Council and staff should work with the community to insist that the Province provide prevention, detox and residential and out-patient treatment programs in neighbourhoods throughout the Lower Mainland. The Vancouver public deserves and demands an effective Provincial strategy to deal with the increasing drug problem. This strategy should be aimed at both achieving abstinence and reducing harm.

Objective 2: Reduce Drug-Related Crime

The following measures are within the City’s jurisdiction and should be taken to help deal with the sense of lawlessness in the Downtown Eastside which results from the wide open use of drugs:

…580…Request that the Police Board increase the number of City Police walking the beat;…580

…580…Deal more effectively with problem premises which support the drug trade by increasing show-cause hearings, requiring businesses to sign Good Neighbour Agreements, and amending zoning and other by-laws to help prevent drug-related activities in association with new businesses such as late-night restaurants, and grocery stores which sell little food; and…580

…580…Help Neighbourhood Safety Offices develop clear objectives and strategies for community outreach, identification of local issues, volunteer recruitment and training, and action plans to improve their effectiveness in crime prevention.…580

However, to come to grips with the key crime issues, significant changes need to be made in Federal immigration legislation, the Provincial justice system, the City’s Charter and the ways in which the three levels of government coordinate activities:

…580…Develop an effective strategy to reduce the importation and sale of illegal drugs;…580

…580…Strengthen the Federal Immigration Act to deal with illegal refugee claimants;…580

…580…Increase Provincial prosecution resources and demand that courts impose stronger jail sentences for drug-trafficking and drug-related violent crimes;…580

…580…Develop diversion programs to provide drug treatment for addicts in the criminal justice system;…580

…580…Develop rehabilitation programs for addicts who are convicted of property crimes which include restitution to victims and/or service to the community;…580

…580…Develop mechanisms to expedite enforcement of by-law infractions; and…580

…580…Amend the Vancouver Charter, as the City has requested, and develop by-laws to enable the City to regulate hours of operation of businesses, apply more restrictive licensing regulations in high crime areas, charge owners of poorly maintained vacant buildings through Property Tax for the City’s administrative, policing and inspection costs to ensure these buildings are properly secured.…580

Objective 3: Improve Conditions at the Street Level

As noted above, the Downtown Eastside Integrated Services Team’s efforts dealing with problem premises (including 24-hour stores, second-hand stores and hotels), securing vacant buildings, making the streets feel safer, and the cleaning up of lanes need to be enhanced with additional resources as well as a proactive public/private partnership to reopen many of the vacant storefronts.

In April 1998, Council approved the following measures to help improve the physical appearance along Hastings Street in conjunction with community-based initiatives:

…580…Provide extra City lane and sidewalk clean-up resources;…580

…580…Fund United We Can to hire inner City residents to provide detailed clean-up of small debris on sidewalks and lanes;…580

…580…Place twelve new litter receptacles at strategic locations;…580

…580…Improve lighting;…580

…580…Remove graffiti and repaint poles and hoardings;…580

…580…Fund Carnegie Centre’s "Walls of Change Project" to hire local artists to paint murals on hoardings;…580

…580…Plant 60 new and replacement trees in the Downtown Eastside; and…580

…580…Improve landscaping in Oppenheimer and Andy Livingstone Parks.…580

Given the profound challenges to taking back Hastings Street for legitimate commerce, longer-term intergovernmental work should also be undertaken to simplify enforcement procedures, develop new businesses and engage the community in revitalization initiatives through training and jobs.

…580…Implement a Hasting Street Revitalization Program as a public/private partnership, including senior government participation, to attract legitimate businesses; …580

…580…Develop a strategy to ensure low-cost commercial services, job training and employment opportunities are available for existing low-income residents;…580

…580…Continue to support community-based projects which to enhance the appearance of the public realm and contribute to community building;…580

…580…Fund outdoor programs to help attract a wide range of people to the streets;…580

…580…Continue to ensure buildings which remain vacant are secure; and…580

…580…Work with the Provincial LCLB to reduce the number of licensed seats in the area; increase the effectiveness of enforcement actions against pubs and cabarets which are over-serving; and require establishments sign "Good Neighbour Agreements" and control the sale of high alcohol content beverages such as cooking wine.…580

Objective 4: Improve Existing SROs and Build Replacement Low-Income Housing

In the long term, most of the 6,000 Single Room Occupancy (SRO) units in the Downtown Eastside should be replaced with suitable low-income housing so that the old buildings can be redeveloped or converted to tourist accommodation. However, conditions in the SROs and their transition to other uses will have to be carefully monitored and, if necessary, managed, and the development of new low-income housing will have to be expedited in the Downtown Eastside and other parts of the city and region. In the meantime, the condition of existing hotels must be improved through enhanced and coordinated enforcement efforts. The draft Housing Plan slated for discussion in the fall proposes:

…580…Stepping up enforcement against poorly managed SRO hotels;…580

…580…Continuing advocating for expanding the Residential Rehabilitation Assistance Program;…580

…580…Providing assistance and incentives such as an increase in the GAIN rate for hotels which agree to improve the management and ensure the 24-hour security of SROs;…580

…580…Upgrading existing SROs and developing new social housing through public/private partnerships;…580

…580…Facilitating several micro suite demonstration projects with self-contained dwelling units under 275 sq. ft.;…580

…580…Forming a group made up of elected officials from the three levels of government, local residents and business people to ensure low-income housing and services are provided elsewhere in the City and the region; and…580

…580…Supporting the initiatives of the Province to provide housing and services for the mentally ill and people with drug and alcohol addictions in other parts of BC.…580

Objective 5: Help Community People to Find Allies and Seek a Common Future

There are differing visions and priorities between residents and business people who share the area’s neighbourhoods. A healthy community in an area facing so many pressures cannot be decreed by by-laws and government initiatives. A flexible community development program may help improve understanding and enable people to start to work together to address common problems. Without this, staff anticipate continued opposition and costly delays to most proposals for new development as well as needed services.

…580…Fund a consultant, starting by November 1998, to help begin to resolve differences between groups within the area, and to identify issues and determine the resources which would be needed to help build common community interests.…580

Policy Foundation

At the same time work is underway on dealing with immediate problems, it is important to set an overall City policy foundation in place to establish longer-term objectives and guide future initiatives. This foundation will set the stage for what will have to be at least a five-year sustained commitment by all levels of government, working with the community and the private sector. This work must be carried out in a way which builds on the community’s many strengths. These include its rich supply of heritage buildings, unique physical character and central location.

Perhaps more important are the strength and experience of its residents, the way in which most people care for and look after one another, even under hard circumstances. These positive social supports and institutions have historically sustained these unique low- and mixed-income neighbourhoods. To be successful, the strategy must start by securing political commitment and widespread public support and engaging the community to work with government and private businesses to solve these extremely difficult problems.

The following draft policy reports are being distributed with this report for discussion in the autumn:

…580…Housing Plan for the Downtown Eastside, Gastown, Chinatown and Strathcona;…580

…580…Victory Square Area Plan;…580

…580…Gastown Land Use Plan.…580

A report on managing the conversion and demolition of SROs will be submitted during the public discussion in the autumn. Together these reports propose alternative ways to secure and improve existing low-income housing in this area as well as other parts of the city and region. They also show how new market housing and commercial development can build on the area’s historic character to revitalize without resulting in the loss of homes for existing residents.

Immediate City Resource Commitments

Considerable Police, Fire, Recreation and Housing resources are allocated to the Downtown Eastside and nearby areas. The Community Services Group alone has more than twenty staff (eight full-time) contributing almost $800,000 a year in planning, land use, by-law enforcement and service delivery. This does not include the Carnegie Centre, community grants, City-run housing or development and building permit processing.

In addition to current staff assignments, City resources need to be committed immediately to take the array of immediate actions outlined above, generate public discussion of the companion draft reports and begin the facilitation process for further tri-governmental and community action:

1.A program to determine the public and private resources needed to help attract legitimate businesses to Hastings Street;

2.Two programmers and supports in the Carnegie Centre to provide outdoor activities to help animate the streets and local parks over the next year;

3.City’s investment in establishing at least one demonstration storefront business venture on Hastings Street to help attract other new businesses to the area and to provide needed services to all residents (consider under 1); and

4.Consultant resources to test the potential for resolving some differences among groups in the area and to identify the resources needed to build on common community interests.

We recommend that these items be pursued immediately. They could cost the City a total of up to about $100,000 from Contingency Reserve in 1998. Further funds will be needed to help meet the objectives of the Program for Strategic Actions over the next five years.

Towards a Tri-Government and Community Partnership

It is important to recognize that the responsibility for dealing with drugs, criminal justice and housing lies with the Provincial and Federal governments. However, the City can lead the way and challenge senior levels of government and the private sector to take action by making tangible resource commitments where it has authority and responsibility. Over time, it is not inconceivable that City expenditures could grow to $3.0 million per year, about 1% of the City’s taxes. If the funds are matched with similar or greater amounts by each of the senior levels of government which have primary responsibility in these areas, this would result in about $10 million more worth of resources annually. If this level of funding were available for at least the next 5 years, it could go a long way towards resolving the urgent crises faced by the community.

Beyond the immediate actions outlined above, for the City to move on now, it is essential that this Program of Strategic Actions be evolved and transformed by the three levels of government and the community in a joint planning effort. Initiatives outlined above for further consideration are a start towards achieving a broader consensus.

Six immediate steps are proposed to lead us to full partnership:

1.Invite the Minister of Health, the Attorney General, the Minister of Children and Families, the Minister of Municipal Affairs and the Minister responsible for Housing to meet immediately and every six months thereafter to review progress on addressing community issues in the Downtown Eastside.

2.Convene a wide public discussion about this Program for Strategic Actions and other initiatives within the Downtown Eastside, the broader Vancouver community and with others, including senior governments, interested in contributing to solutions.

3.Convene the ‘City Caucus’ of elected representatives of all governments to initially discuss this Strategic Plan and cooperation on these and other actions as soon as possible.

4.Create a tri-governmental ‘Downtown Eastside Sponsor Committee’ of elected officials to oversee implementation of the agreed upon actions in this Plan, reframe this Plan for cross-government consensus and monitor ongoing work.

5.Create a tri-governmental ‘Downtown Eastside Staff Committee’ to provide a mechanism for Provincial and Federal Governments to effectively fulfill their responsibilities with the City and to coordinate direct actions in the area and support the ‘Sponsor Committee’.

6.Develop an advisory linkage, including local community, business and other interests, to the ‘Sponsor’ and ‘Staff’ Committees and all ongoing programs.

Monitoring the Implementation of this Plan

The situation in the Downtown Eastside and progress outlined in this Strategic Plan must be monitored regularly. The following is proposed:

1.The City’s Downtown Eastside Community Monitoring Report should be continued, expanded to include aspects relevant to other governments and reformatted for more frequent publication and circulation to a wider audience.

2.The City should monitor the progress every six months on the immediate actions outlined and report this in the Monitoring Report.

3.The tri-governmental ‘Sponsor Committee’ should receive a report at six-month intervals on progress at all levels of government and community including local residents, property owners and business people as well as city-wide groups which are able to contribute to solutions. This monitoring report should be made public after consideration by the ’Sponsor Committee’.

FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS

The financial implications are outlined on pages 13 and 14.

CONCLUSION

Conditions in the Downtown Eastside have been worse than those of other Vancouver neighbourhoods for many decades and have declined considerably over the last few years. Many of the problems result from the widespread use of intravenous drugs, especially cocaine; others from long-standing issues associated with poverty and a changing economy. This report proposes many actions which can help reduce the incidence of drug addiction and related crime, improve the area’s physical appearance, improve housing and take back Hastings Street for legitimate business and social use. To be successful, all of this work should build on the community’s many strengths, especially the caring and sense of community which most of its residents have.

Many of the proposed initiatives are outside the City’s formal areas of responsibility. Almost all require the initiative and cooperation of senior levels of government along with new partnerships with the private sector and the community. However, the most important step is the first step, and here the City--as the level of government closest to the people and the problems--can take a strong leadership role by continuing to act, by committing new resources in the areas where it has clear responsibility, and by challenging and welcoming others to join in a serious and genuine problem-solving and community re-building effort.

* * * * *

DOWNTOWN EASTSIDE STRATEGIC ACTIONS

July 17, 1998

Objective 1: Reduce the Incidence of Drug Addiction

Recent Actions the City Has Taken:

June 1997Formed the Vancouver Coalition for Crime Prevention and Drug Treatment.

June 1997Initiated development and offered land for a new sobering centre in cooperation with the Province.

Dec 1997Social Planning joined the Ministry for Children and Families (MCF) Drug and Alcohol Management Committee to help provide input in Provincial service development.

April 1998Council adopted motions to:

A) Request a meeting with the Vancouver/Richmond Regional Health Board to discuss their broad policy directions in relationship to services concerned with intravenous drug use and addiction.

B) Communicate to the Premier of the Province and the Minister of Children and Families the desperate need for drug and alcohol treatment facilities in the City of Vancouver and the GVRD, and that the communication include Council’s request that alcohol and drug matters be given the highest priority status and be relocated back to the Ministry of Health.

June 1998Hosted Vancouver’s International Symposium on Crime Prevention and Drug Treatment on June 12-13, 1998.

Actions the City Can Facilitate with Others:

1.1Urge the Minister for Children and Families and other relevant Provincial and Federal ministries as well as the Vancouver/Richmond Health Board to meet their mandated responsibilities by:

a.Securing continued funding by September 1998 for a program to transport intoxicated people to needed services.

b.Funding and completing development of a Sobering Center by March 1999.

c.Developing a Detox for intravenous (IV) drug users.

d.Establishing Residential Treatment Programs and Outpatient Treatment Programs for IV drug users.

1.2Consider the City’s role in helping to develop the proposed Resource Center for IV Drug Users when the Terms of Reference are clarified. They are likely to include programming objectives, location criteria and public process.

1.3Continue to have Council and staff advocate for prevention, detox and residential and out-patient treatment programs in neighbourhoods throughout the Lower Mainland. These should provide a full range of services aimed both at achieving abstinence and reducing harm, including:

a.New resources to meet the specialized needs of youth, women and children, the mentally ill, aboriginal people and people whose first language is not English. This should include drug and alcohol counselors, detox beds and recovery treatment beds.

b.Drug and alcohol prevention programs through the schools and public awareness campaigns.

c.Drug-free housing with appropriate support services should be located throughout the Lower Mainland.

d.Exploration of alternative forms of drug treatment programs for heroin and cocaine users.

1.4Continue to support that Needle Exchange programs should be located throughout the Lower Mainland.

Objective 2: Reduce Drug-Related Crime

Recent Actions the City Has Taken:

April 1992Opened Chinatown Neighbourhood Safety Office

April 1995Opened Gastown and Strathcona Neighbourhood Safety Offices.

Sept 1995Opened Downtown Eastside Neighbourhood Safety Office.

Aug 1996Improved interdepartmental coordination to deal with second hand stores and pawn shops.

…580…Zoning was amended to prevent new second hand stores and pawn shops from opening in the area.…580

…580…$80,000 in stolen property was seized from August 1996 to March 1998.…580

…580…66 charges, involving 47 businesses, have been laid since August 1996.…580

…580…Six licenses were suspended.…580

…580…Two licenses were canceled.…580

Sept 1996Increased number of Police walking the beat from 16 to 26 on a temporary basis.

…580…Police records indicate a general decrease in most criminal activities by at least 10% from 1996 to 1998.…580

Nov 1996Formed Downtown Eastside Integrated Services Team to deal with problem premises.

…580…3 businesses agreed to voluntarily close by 2:00 AM.…580

…580…13 licenses were suspended; 6 licenses were canceled.…580

…580…required applicants for potential problems premises to meet with community; 4 proposals have been withdrawn or amended.…580

…580…published regular problem premise status report.…580

…580…developed checklist so all inspectors and Police can record priority infractions.…580

Jan 1998Required a business plan and Good Neighbor Agreement for all new businesses and license transfers in the 100 block W. Hastings to the 100 block E. Hastings.

Apr 1998Increased the number of Property Use Inspectors from two to three in this area by relocating an inspector from another area.

July 1998Increased the number of Police walking the beat to 36.

Actions the City Can Take Immediately:

2.1Deal more effectively with problem premises in the Downtown Eastside which support the drug trade by instructing:

a.P&L, Police and Law to provide resources to hold at least 12 show cause hearings per year by July 1999.

b.P&L to require existing businesses which have been cited for by-law infractions and all new service and retail stores to sign "Good Neighbour Agreements" by March 1999.

c.Planning, P&L and Law to bring forward Zoning and other by-law amendments to help prevent new businesses which are likely to support the drug trade by March 1999.

Further Actions the City Can Take with Others:

2.2Develop an inter-governmental coordinated strategy to reduce the import and sale of illegal drugs by requesting:

a.Police to meet with RCMP and relevant Provincial and Federal ministry staff, and report back to the Police Board on a strategy by December 1998.

b.Elected officials from the 3 levels of government to meet by December 1998 to review how resources can be secured to significantly reduce the amount of illegal drugs available in the Lower Mainland.

2.3Meet with appropriate elected officials and staff from senior levels of government by December 1998 to advocate that the:

a.Federal government strengthen the Immigration Act by December1999 so that illegal refugee claimants involved in drug trafficking or violent crimes can be deported quickly.

b.Provincial Attorney General direct crown prosecutors to pursue all drug-related violent crimes and major drug dealing aggressively, including seeking higher sentences.

c.Provincial Attorney General develop by December 1999, appropriate diversion programs to provide drug treatment for addicts in the criminal justice system and programs which require the perpetrators of property crime to provide restitution to their victims or service to the community.

d.Province amend the Vancouver Charter to enable the City to:

…580…regulate the hours of operation of businesses.…580

…580…apply licensing regulations geographically (e.g., to help prevent the over concentration of businesses which have neighborhood impacts).…580

…580…charge owners through the Property Tax role for any administrative, policing and inspection costs to the City for administering the securing of vacant buildings.…580

…580…renew business licenses on their anniversary date, rather than December 31, so that P&L can better focus on conditions under which licenses for problem premises are renewed.…580

2.4Instruct P&L and Law to work with Provincial staff and to report back by December 1998 on expediting enforcement of by-law infractions.

2.5Request that the Downtown Eastside, Gastown, Chinatown and Strathcona Neighborhood Safety Offices, in consultation with Police and the Integrated Service Teams, report back by December 1998 on strategies to help reduce crime through the involvement of local residents and businesses, and on volunteer recruitment and training programs.

2.6Instruct the City Manager and Chief Constable to bring forward for Council’s approval by October 1998 an application by for funding to the recently announced Federal community safety initiative for the Downtown Eastside.

Objective 3: Improve Conditions at the Street Level

Recent Actions the City Has Taken:

Aug 1996Improve appearance of lanes by increasing the City's lane cleaning resources and working with United We Can to involve street people in more detailed lane clean-up on a periodic basis.

July 1996Adopted a Downtown Liquor Licensing Policy which includes the following to deal with the neighborhood impacts of pubs and cabarets:

…580…give favorable consideration to applications for changing the Liquor License Class of establishments which decrease hours of operation or numbers of seats in or near residential areas.…580

…580…support the development of voluntary associations of local pubs and cabaret owners to help monitor the behavior of problem clients and encourage implementation of Good Neighbour Agreements.…580

Oct 1996Participated in Provincial reviews to regulate and reduce the sale of high alcohol content beverages such as rice wine.

Jan 1998Improved security of vacant buildings in and near the Downtown Eastside by establishing interdepartmental policies.

…580…P & L sent letters to owners of six vacant buildings warning that they must secure their buildings or that the City will take action. …580

…580…two owners have voluntarily agreed to make their buildings more secure and to hire guards who report to City staff daily.…580

Apr 1998Approved the following Engineering measures to improve the physical appearance along Hastings Street between Gore and Cambia:

…580…continue City lane clean-ups, three nights weekly ($120,000 per year).…580

…580…power wash sidewalks ($8,000 per year).…580

…580…clean-up tree bases and carry out needed sidewalk repairs ($20,000).…580

…580…fund United We Can to hire inner city residents to provide detailed clean up of small debris on sidewalks and lanes weekly within a 21 block area ($50,000 for one year).…580

…580…place 12 litter receptacles at strategic locations to supplement the existing 17 receptacles and empty all of them nightly ($3,600 capital cost).…580

…580…remove on-street graffiti and repaint poles ($1,000).…580

…580…improve street lighting ($77,000 capital cost).…580

(Note: funds came from existing budget reallocations.)

Apr 1998Funded programs to improve the appearance of hoards:

…580…Engineering to remove graffiti and where necessary, replace hoards on vacant buildings along Hastings Street ($4,000, with paint donated from industry).…580

…580…Carnegie Center Association’s "Walls of Change Project" to hire local artists to paint murals on hoards ($33,500).…580

Apr 1998Park Board agreed to provide $10,000 to:

…580…plant 60 new and replacement trees in the Downtown Eastside.…580

…580…improve landscaping in Oppenheimer and Andy Livingstone Parks.…580

…580…increase litter removal for Oppenheimer Park.…580

Actions the City Can Take Immediately:

3.1Bring business back to the storefronts of Hastings Street between Gore and Cambia by:

a.Instructing Community Services and Real Estate Services to report back by December 1998 on proposals to attract legitimate businesses to Hastings Street in the Downtown Eastside.

i.Funding consultant resources to initiate a Hastings Street Revitalization Program by January 1999 with an advisory group made up of representatives of local and downtown businesses, educational institutions, arts organizations, community groups and City staff.

ii.Committing funds as the City’s investment in attracting or developing at least one demonstration storefront business venture on Hastings Street to help draw other new businesses to the area. This should provide needed services such as a moderately priced restaurant, a grocery store, or a laundromat, as well as training and employment for low-income residents.

iii.Instructing staff to report back by March 1999 on a strategy and funding requirements for filling all the vacant storefronts on Hastings Street between Gore and Cambie.

b.Instructing the City Building Inspector to continue to facilitate the reoccupation of vacant storefronts along Hastings Street and, if necessary, to report back on any regulation changes and relaxations needs to help attract new businesses.

3.2Further improve the physical conditions of sidewalks, lanes, hoardings street furniture and parks by:

a.Monitoring conditions, with Engineering reporting back on the effectiveness of ongoing projects and resource needs.

b.Giving favourable consideration to supporting community-based projects which enhance the appearance of the public realm and contribute to community building such as

…580…community clean-up events.…580

…580…the Carrall Street Connection between Maple Tree Square and the Chinese Cultural Centre.…580

…580…projects which involve hiring local residents to provide special levels of clean-up, maintenance and building security.…580

3.3Fund the Carnegie Centre to provide outdoor programs to help animate the streets and local parks, with an emphasis at Pigeon Park and in front of the community centre.

3.4Reduce the impacts of pubs and cabarets in the Downtown Eastside and Gastown by instructing:

a.P&L and Police to work with establishment owners and the Provincial Liquor Control and Licensing Branch (LCLB) to reduce the number of licensed seats in the area by at least 1,000

.

b.Planning to prepare zoning amendments which prevent new cabarets and large hotel pubs in the area by January 1999.

c.P&L give favourable consideration to applications for new cabarets, only if they are tied to a decrease in cabaret or pub seats elsewhere, especially in the Downtown Eastside and Gastown (while taking into consideration the viability of SRO hotel rooms).

d. Police and P&L to work with owners of existing pubs and cabarets to form a group similar to "Bar Watch" and to enter into Good Neighbour Agreements by January 1999.

e.Request the Police Board to have Police strictly enforce laws against drunk driving starting immediately.

f.Engineering and Police, as part of the Gastown Parking Plan, to review by December 1998, parking options that may reduce the conflicts between late-night entertainment patrons and local residents.

Further Actions the City Can Take with Others:

3.5Deal with the impacts of licensed establishments by:

a.urging the Attorney General to instruct the LCLB to implement aggressive enforcement of all violations of liquor regulations in liquor outlets in the Downtown Eastside immediately and to regulate the sale of high alcohol beverages such as rice wine by July 1999.

b.instructing P&L to work with the LCLB to increase the level of enforcement against over-serving by increasing the length of suspensions for infractions.

c.instructing P&L and Police to work with the LCLB and local businesses to help ensure high alcohol beverages such as rice wine are not sold to minors or people with alcohol addictions. regulate the sale of high alcohol beverages such as rice wine by July 1999.

Objective 4:Improve Existing SROs and Build Replacement Low-Income Housing

Recent Actions the City Has Taken:

1995Instructed staff to work with the community and affected businesses to develop a Housing Plan and a program to manage the conversion and demolition of SRO hotels and rooming houses.

1995-1997Committed $2.1 million in land lease write downs and $3.4 million in grants (1997 dollars) for 478 units in social housing projects replacing lost SRO units including Bantleman Court (15 units), New Portland Hotel (87), Van City Place (50), Bridge Housing (47), Bruce Eriksen (35), Victory House Site (33), Chinese Benevolent Society (44) and Vancouver Native Housing (100).

1997-1998Integrated Services Team has increased the number of regular inspections of every SRO hotel from three to five times per year and is carrying out 2 early warning joint inspections per month for hotels which appear to be deteriorating.

Actions the City Can Take Immediately:

4.1Enforce the Standards of Maintenance By-law by laying charges for infractions immediately, closing individual rooms which violate the Health By-law and ensuring resources are available for any needed show-cause hearings.

4.2Continue to monitor changes in the SRO stock and, if necessary, manage their conversion to other uses.

Further Actions the City Can Take with Others:

4.3Continue to advocate that the Federal government provide additional funds to the Residential Rehabilitation Assistance Program for SRO building upgrade through the City Caucus as well as national, provincial and municipal housing groups.

4.4Form a task force of elected officials, local residents and business people and others to advocate that low-income housing and services are provided throughout the Lower Mainland.

4.5Request that the Provincial Minister of Health meet with Council to discuss how funds established for accommodation and support of people with mental illness can be directed to eligible members of the Downtown Eastside community.

Objective 5:Help Community People to Find Allies and Seek a Common Future

Recent Actions the City Has Taken:

Mar 1998Helped facilitate discussions among different local interest groups through meetings about potential problem premises, the proposed Carrall Street Connector, a community-based Downtown Eastside Clean-up event, and informal sessions on how business can help deal with local issues.

Actions the City Can Take Immediately:

5.1Funding consultant resources, starting by November 1998, to help resolve differences between different groups within the area and to identify issues and determine the resources which would be needed to help build on common community interests.

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(c) 1998 City of Vancouver