April 8 2024 –
Over the weekend, 16 intended users of the newly cleaned and repaired CRAB Park Designated Area have relocated from a Temporary Sheltering Area on the southside of the park into the Designated Area. On Monday, April 8, the General Manager will issue an updated GM Notice that outlines that the Designated Area is now scaled to support these 16 intended users. The perimeter fencing, which was in place to manage priority access for intended users up to this point, will also be removed.
The Park Board and the City would like to express their appreciation to those people who relocated voluntarily over recent days. The Park Board will work with these users of the Designated Area to support their successful use of the area while the City’s Homelessness Services team continues works with BC Housing on housing and shelter options.
As always, the shared goal of the Park Board and the City is to support these users of the Designated Area to come inside into housing and shelter. As people are brought inside into housing and shelter, the Park Board will continue to incrementally reduce the Designated Area until the whole area can be returned to regular park use.
With end of the Designated Area relocation process, the Temporary Sheltering Area on the southside of the park is now closed. In this area, work will shift to focus on Parks Control By-law compliance in the coming days as per Section 11 of the By-law to maintain community daytime use of and access to the park while still allowing for temporary sheltering overnight by those residents without housing.
Since the beginning of the cleanup process, three people have already moved into housing and two will be moving into housing shortly. The City of Vancouver’s Homelessness Services Outreach team continues to connect with people sheltering outdoors across the city, supporting them to access income, support services and housing and shelter spaces as they become available.
This cleanup would not have been possible without the support of BC Housing and the Ministry of Housing, Vancouver Coastal Health, and the Ministry of Social Development and Poverty Reduction for their work in supporting people sheltering in the Designated Area.
Additionally, the Park Board and City would like to recognize the staff and peers of Atira and Lu’ma Native Housing Society who provided supports for people throughout the cleanup process as well as a number of community members who positively participated in and supported the process.
If people sheltering in CRAB Park have ongoing concerns, they are invited to speak to Park Rangers who attend the site on a daily basis. If they do not wish to speak with a Park Ranger themselves, they can contact 3-1-1 whose staff will forward any questions or comments to Park Rangers for follow-up.