A community forum organized to spark ideas for how to tackle homelessness, substance use and food insecurity on the Semiahmoo Peninsula is being hailed as a “resounding success.”
READ MORE: South Surrey/White Rock asked to weigh in on substance use, homelessness
“We had 120 people from a diversity of circles: people from faith communities, business people, people in government, people with lived experience, etc.,” Rick Bayer, chair of the Peninsula Homeless to Housing Task Force, one of the event’s sponsoring groups, said Thursday (Nov. 9).
Held in a ‘World Café-style’ at Gracepoint Community Church on Nov. 8, Community at a Crossroads was hoped to offer new perspectives and possible solutions to the trio of issues, which Bayer said ahead of the meeting are getting “noticeably worse” on the Semiahmoo Peninsula.
The pastor was one of three panelists who spoke at the event, which was hosted by Tides of Change, with White Rock/South Surrey Community Action Team. White Rock Coun. Bill Lawrence and Sources Community Resource Centres peer support co-ordinator Rochelle Strano program also spoke, with Strano sharing her own experience of living unhoused for 16 years.
Facilitator George Passmore – executive director of Sources – said the three “demonstrated empathy and how to listen for understanding, the difference between a dialogue to explore all perspectives versus debate which intends to persuade towards one’s own rigidly held convictions.”
Discussion revolved around four key themes: learning about people’s stories (for example, how did they get to where they are? what could have prevented them from getting to this place?); creating unique sheltering options (Cowichan tiny homes model; providing outside sheltering equipment); neighbourhood house (including: use of White Rock Community Centre; providing an address for people who are unhoused to use); and business support/engagement (such as providing naloxone training and supportive options for debriefing after an overdose; and businesses offering up end-of-day food).
Passmore said he was impressed with “the spirit of the dialogue” that could be heard around the 10 or so tables.
“People with lived experience of homelessness and substance use disorders were being listened to by members of the community, city officials, service providers,” Passmore said by email.
“At a table I was facilitating, one gentleman was speaking about what he felt would be an effective housing strategy when he paused, turned toward the young man who had been living outside for some time and said something like – ‘Well, at least that is what I have been thinking, but you tell me if that makes sense or if you think something else might be better.’
“Wow, talk about moving away from othering a group of people, this was an example of ‘nothing about us without us.’”
South Surrey & White Rock Chamber of Commerce executive director Ritu Khanna described the forum, and the opportunity such events create for all members of the community to collaborate on solutions, as “absolutely” important.
She emphasized that business owners on the Semiahmoo Peninsula have “so much empathy” for those who are struggling and need services, and said that humanizing the issue – all sides of it – is key in understanding it.
“It’s really unfair to the people who need services to just call it ‘the homeless population,’ because there’s different degrees of what people are experiencing in terms of housing, in terms of food insecurity, in terms of drug issues,” Khanna said Tuesday (Nov. 14).
READ MORE: ‘So heartbreaking’: White Rock residents call on city to address homelessness
READ MORE: Knight slams province as White Rock supports warming centre
It’s also important to understand and appreciate the lived experiences of business owners, who are seeing increased costs due to theft, vandalism and interference with their operations, despite efforts to support those in need, she said.
“It’s not everyone who’s causing these issues, it’s particular individuals, and so we need that empathy for the businesses as well. It feels like that in the past has been forgotten.
“I really appreciate that we’re starting to have those conversations,” Khanna continued.
“It’s an ongoing process that we need to do, to come together and to understand one another. Having that understanding and empathy from all sides is how we’re going to create solutions.”