It has been called one of the poorest neighborhoods in North America and ‘Canada’s poorest postal code’; plagued by lack of adequate housing and struggles with drugs, violence, and mental well being. The ratio of homeless to shelter beds has been estimated to be greater than two to one – and rising. The lack of affordable or adequate housing is the most visible social problem, contributing to the thousands you may find sleeping in alleys, squatting in decrepit buildings, or inhabiting bug infested rooms.
This area inhabiting the north eastern edge of the downtown core has seen its share of high and low points through its extensive history- from the once bustling business center of the early 20th century to the relatively abandoned state it has become. Many people devote their time and energy in the area through one of the numerous organizations and community groups that operate with a common goal of making a difference.
Likely one of the most visible and controversial issues is substance abuse and addiction. Vancouver Coastal Health, the operator of Insite- North America’s first legal supervised injection site- estimate that over half of injection drug users in Vancouver reside in the DETS neighborhood. Of these, 3 of 10 users are HIV positive and 9 of 10 users have Hepatitis C. Substance abuse is a prevalent problem in the City of Vancouver and throughout the country. Drugs have been criminalized for a long time, yet abuse problems still persist. Steps need to be taken to finding novel and alternative solutions to the issue of substance abuse to deal with this prevalent social problem not only in the DTES but in other communites as well.
There is news almost daily regarding the government neglect toward its residents, the overuse of police force in the area, and the growing blight on the city of Vancouver ahead of welcoming the world in 2010 – among other issues such as homelessness, substance abuse, and addiction. However, these issues are at the heart of this city and perhaps the increased spotlight on Vancouver in the lead up to the games will help to put addiction and its residual social issues front and center.
This is Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside (DTES).
Great start! Really looking forward to hearing more about the social issue you are interested in.
Cheers
Graham
Powerful stuff. Not sure the DTES is “abandoned and stagnant” – the point you make in the next sentence suggests that it does attract attention from some groups such as the Police. It also has a considerable number of agencies working in the area (interesting Globe and Mail feature on this topic). The social problems are very visible and can be portrayed in the media as “hopeless” but I’m not so sure that this captures the complexity of the social issues in play and reflects the community/humanity of those that live in this neighborhood. Looking forward to reading more!
Thanks Graham. I think that the DTES is not abandoned in the traditional sense of the word. There has been continuous influx of funding from government bodies as well as the generous support and assistance provided by the plethora of social organizations that call the DTES home. It’s absolutely critical not to discount the hard work and dedication of these individuals and organizations to making a difference every day.
However, I think we can view the area as abandoned in terms of the outlook of the general public and the media. I think it is often portrayed as ‘hopeless’, or even a ‘lost cause’. I personally think this is both incorrect altogether, and an insult to the hundreds or more people who give their time and devote their lives to the area.
The complexity of the issues in the area is quite daunting. People see the resources, time, and energy expended in the neighborhood as these preferentially are covered in the general media, however, they are less aware of the improvements that are made as a result of these resources as these often do not receive an equal amount of coverage. I think this is what contributes to perpetuating this view of ‘hopelessness’.
Love the title of your blog!
Thanks Arita!