Tent city at Goldstream park faces eviction, but housing remains hard to come by

The province says it's working "diligently" to move the residents of a tent city out of a provincial park before Tuesday's eviction deadline.

The homeless campers are nearing the end of the park's maximum 14-day stay, but housing advocates complained that the province was primarily offering shelter beds as a replacement.

Homeless advocate Chrissy Brett told CBC News that shelter beds would split up couples and were an inadequate option, and said occupants were planning on moving the camp to a new location rather than endure separation from their loved ones.

B.C. Housing Minister Selina Robinson said shelter beds are only an "interim" solution to widespread homelessness plaguing the region.

"We need to be working together with them. Our goal is to get them into proper housing. There are many years of neglect," she said. "We know that we're not done yet."

The Goldstream camp popped up, at least in part, as a result of the Saanich camp eviction early last month.

When asked whether she feared moving campers to shelters would result in future encampments, Robinson stressed that the shelter beds were only a temporary solution as the ministry works with housing providers to secure long-term solutions, such as high-demand modular housing.

Land has yet to be identified for 2500 additional modular housing units promised by the province in the 2018 budget, Robinson said.

"In the interim we do have shelter spaces to make sure people aren't exposed to the elements, that they can stay healthy, that they still have access to services," she said.

Vacancy, rental rates pose challenge

Finding immediate permanent housing for the Goldstream occupants is harder than ever, says Chris Forester, manager of the ‎Pacifica Housing Advisory Association.

"Up to four years ago, we still had landlords calling us, asking us to help them fill vacancies," Forester said. "That has shifted 180 degrees."

Now, on the rare occasion a landlord does call, Forester says housing workers often have only a day to snag it — meaning they need to be able to contact a potential tenant, set up a viewing and have someone agree to move in, all in the span of a few hours.

That struggle is further compounded by ever-rising rent across the province.

"A bachelor goes for a minimum of $900 to $1100. It's outrageous for somebody who's only on basic [social assistance], who only gets a $375 shelter allowance," he said.

"Regardless of the vacancy rate, the actual cost is prohibitive to being housed."

Without purpose-built affordable housing, Forester thinks there's no permanent solution to the tent cities popping up across the province.

"This can't go on," he said. "This affects everyone. No one can find housing."

With files from Liz McArthur