On December 14, 2015, the Vancouver Park Board debated 2 motions concerning refugees. Here is the staff report back on those motions:
In
the motion titled “Refugee
Support” (Mackinnon/Wiebe), staff were directed to work with community partners to welcome
and support refugees living in Vancouver and to report back on measures
taken. The motion titled “Responding to the Syrian Refugee Crisis” (Evans/Mackinnon) was
referred to staff to examine the possibilities
of using vacant caretaker suites as temporary housing for Syrian
refugees. Following is an update on the initiatives and actions taken
to date.
Refugee Resettlement Plan
The
Government of Canada announced its Syrian refugee resettlement plan
with the goal of relocating 25,000 Syrian refugees who are currently
living
in Turkey, Lebanon or Jordan. As of January 22, 2016, the resettlement
goal of 10,000 Government Assisted Refugees (GARs) relocated to Canada
by January 1st and another 15,000 settled by March 1st,
has been extended. Vancouver immigrant and refugee service agencies
require additional time to find permanent homes and have requested a
pause of 5 days in accepting new refugees. Overall, it is expected that
2500–3000 GARs (10%–12%) will settle in British
Columbia: 300 in Vancouver, 900 in Surrey, 600 in Coquitlam, and 120 in
New Westminster.
Additionally, an estimated 5,700 Privately Sponsored Refugees (PSRs) are expected within the same time frame. As noted on the Government of Canada website, "in an effort to minimize security risks and provide a new home for vulnerable refugees, Canada has asked UNHCR to prioritize vulnerable refugees who are a low security risk, such as women at risk and complete families".
Syrian Refugee Strategic Planning Group Participation
Since
November 2015, Park Board staff have been working with City staff and
other key community partners to review and coordinate response efforts.
This Syrian Refugee Strategic Planning Group, includes representatives
from:
· BC Housing
· BC Ministry of Jobs,
Tourism & Skills Training & Responsible for Labour
· Citizenship and Immigration
Canada
· City of Vancouver
· Immigrant Services
Society of BC
· Vancouver Coastal
Health
· Vancouver Park Board
· Vancouver School Board
The
Park Board is represented by Darren Peterson, Acting Manager of
Recreation City-wide Services and Paul Czene, Recreation Coordinator,
Access
and Volunteer Service.
ISS
of BC provided members with an overview of the settlement process and a
flowchart of the “Key Phases for Syrian Refugee Movement to Metro
Vancouver”. This flowchart indicates the timeline from
initial reception to settlement and the various steps and needs along
the process.
Leisure Access Program Changes
The
Park Board’s Leisure Access Program (LAP) reduces accessibility
barriers for immigrants, refugees, and the undocumented. In recognition
of
the importance of connecting refugees to their new communities, the LAP
has created an expedited 3rd Party Referral process in coordination with immigrant and refugee serving agencies. This process provides same day service
at the closest Vancouver recreational facility.
Community Youth Workers Involvement
It
is projected that 36% of the Syrian refugees will be under the age of
19. As such, Park Board Community Youth Workers have been provided
special
briefings in preparation for the expected high need for youth support
and services for the refugees settling in Vancouver.
Park Board Caretaker Suites
On
December 14, 2015, the Board motion “Responding to the Syrian Refugee
Crisis” was referred to staff. This motion proposed that staff “examine
all currently unoccupied and uncommitted former caretaker suites” to
determine whether any could be used “as temporary accommodation for
government sponsored refugees from Syria”.
Staff
have reviewed the park fieldhouse inventory and identified eight vacant
caretaker suites that have not yet been committed to other uses
– all of which are completely unfurnished. When considering whether any
of the available suites would be appropriate accommodations for
vulnerable refugee populations, staff noted the following concerns:
•
Limited Space - caretaker suites are very
small, suitable for 1-2 people; the understanding is that most of the
current refugees are arriving as families;
•
Social Isolation – fieldhouses are
stand-alone buildings without close neighbours; parks are closed to the
public after hours; locations do not offer convenient access to
amenities and services;
•
Public Pressure - residents would be
perceived to be park caretakers or staff; the public will approach with
questions and concerns regarding the park, maintenance of public
washrooms, facility access, and other issues;
•
Safety & Security – fieldhouse residents
are exposed to user conflicts, substance misuse in and around the
facilities, vandalism, after-hours loitering, homeless populations, and
other situations that could create discomfort and
impact feelings of safety and security.
While
there are two locations that may offer less isolation (closer to
amenities), the other factors listed above would still apply.
As well, it is important to note that the Fieldhouse Activation Program
is gearing-up to put out a Request for Expression of Interest (RFEOI) to
local community sport, art & culture, food, and environmental
groups in exchange for community programming. The
current plan is to advertise and promote all eight vacant caretaker
suites as opportunities for residencies and community activations.
Staff were expecting to post the RFEOI in March and have community
groups move-in to the caretaker suites by May 1, 2016.
Staff are continuing to work with City and key partners to welcome Syrian refugees to Vancouver and to provide the ongoing community support and connections they require. The processes developed through this collaborative response effort will help inform the Park Board's practices for providing refugee support moving forward.
