Vancouver finds cash to keep Downtown Eastside toilets, street cleaning going to year-end

The City of Vancouver says it has travel up pinch backing to support 2 programs that thief support nan Downtown Eastside’s streets free of quality discarded — astatine slightest until nan extremity of nan year.

Earlier this month, Global News reported that Project Hope, a programme that picks up trash and unit washes Hastings Street, and operations astatine a group of nationalist toilets were some astatine consequence of ending pursuing nan expiry of assistance funding.

The programs were funded done a one-time assistance from nan state and nan Union of BC Municipalities that expired successful June.

The imaginable nonaccomplishment of nan toilets prompted advocates to launch a societal media campaign urging group to nonstop photos of excrement connected nan thoroughfare to nan city’s mayor.

The Overdose Prevention Society, which operates nan toilets astatine Pigeon Park and 144 E Hastings Street, estimates they spot tens of thousands of users per year, and are captious to keeping nan streets clean.

The accommodation were installed arsenic a impermanent measurement during nan COVID-19 pandemic and are costly to run because they require on-site attendants for information and successful lawsuit personification overdoses inside.

“It’s conscionable a basal nationalist work truthful that group aren’t having to spell to nan washroom successful nan streets for illustration they were a fewer years ago,” OPS executive head Sarah Blyth told Global News successful a July 9 interview.

On Wednesday, nan metropolis said it had “identified soul budgetary savings” that would let it to proceed nationalist washroom attendant programs astatine Pigeon Park and astatine nan city’s Oppenheimer Park Field House done nan extremity of 2024.

The Overdose Prevention Society has recovered a organization partner to thief support washrooms astatine 144 E Hastings unfastened arsenic well, it added.

However, nan metropolis said it could not find backing to support a nationalist toilet extracurricular nan Astoria Hotel running.

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“City unit are actively exploring different honorable and durable washroom models that are amended designed to meet nan information and accessibility needs of individuals experiencing homelessness and tin beryllium operated much affordably,” nan metropolis said successful a media release.

RainCity will proceed to run overdose prevention services astatine nan site, and nan metropolis said nan washroom trailer could perchance beryllium transferred to nan group if it tin find backing to run it.

The metropolis said it had besides recovered money to keep Project Hope afloat done nan extremity of nan year.

The initiative, operated by Mission Possible, employs Downtown Eastside residents and has removed 35,400 bags of trash and astir 20,000 instances of feces since 2023.

The metropolis said it was moving to find semipermanent backing options for nan program.