Does Vancouver have a big homeless problem? (Seattle, Salmon Creek: motels, school)

[artistherapy]

We want to move back to the PNW but cant stand living amongst the vagrants and druggies. Does the city of Vancouver cater to transients the way Seattle does?

[cyberous]

Originally Posted by artistherapy

We want to move back to the PNW but cant stand living amongst the vagrants and druggies. Does the city of Vancouver cater to transients the way Seattle does?

Compared to Portland, no problem at all. I really only see the Homeless downtown and in high traffic areas.

What area are you looking to move back to? I think you would be homeless free in Camas/Felida/Salmon Creek etc.

[texasdiver]

Originally Posted by cyberous

Compared to Portland, no problem at all. I really only see the Homeless downtown and in high traffic areas.

What area are you looking to move back to? I think you would be homeless free in Camas/Felida/Salmon Creek etc.

There's usually a few around the Vancouver library and a few scattered about the downtown area. You sometimes see panhandlers at some of the prime intersections, especially freeway off-ramps like the exit from 205 to Mill Plain. But that is about it. I never see any around East Vancouver or Camas. It is just too suburban I think and too car-centric. Drug dealers operate out of cars via text message and such, and few mini-marts with liquor. So homeless substance abusers on foot really have no way to feed their addictions compared to more urban areas of Portland.

I also expect we just don't see them as much in Vancouver compared to Portland either, because it is more car-centric. When you are walking around downtown Portland you are forced to step around folks on the sidewalks. But when you are driving down Mill Plain at 30 mph there may be homeless hanging about at the bus stops or parking lots but you just don't actually notice them from your car.

[StealthRabbit]

Originally Posted by artistherapy

We want to move back to the PNW but cant stand living amongst the vagrants and druggies. Does the city of Vancouver cater to transients the way Seattle does?

Sorry to say... 'those types' are everywhere, tho lessor in most of Clark County. Still plenty in Downtown / Esther Short / Rail lines.

Been volunteering in feeding them in Camas and Washougal for over 15 yrs (and continues today)
https://www.columbian.com/news/2020/...-homelessness/
https://www.camaspostrecord.com/news...nd-fellowship/

Afraid there will be a substantial increase 'everywhere' in the next 2 yrs.

but... the homeless in SWWA are not aggressive like Seattle. We need a plan to keep it that way.

[texasdiver]

Originally Posted by StealthRabbit

Sorry to say... 'those types' are everywhere, tho lessor in most of Clark County. Still plenty in Downtown / Esther Short / Rail lines.

Been volunteering in feeding them in Camas and Washougal for over 15 yrs (and continues today)
https://www.columbian.com/news/2020/...-homelessness/
https://www.camaspostrecord.com/news...nd-fellowship/

Afraid there will be a substantial increase 'everywhere' in the next 2 yrs.

but... the homeless in SWWA are not aggressive like Seattle. We need a plan to keep it that way.

Point of clarification:

There are a lot of homeless in Clark County. I believe the more currently correct term is "unhoused" or "housing insecure" because many would say the do indeed have a home and that their "home" is Vancouver. Many are working poor living out of their vehicles or living in campers and RVs. Some are women or children fleeing abuse and bouncing around between shelters, motels, and couches. Most of these people are essentially "invisible" unless you happen to know which streets and parking lots to look at with an experienced eye. As a teacher I have had homeless students, some of whom were thrown out of their homes for things like being gay (yes that happens) and some whose parents disappeared into meth madness and that kind of thing. They might bounce around between couch surfing with friends, to living in cars, to in and out of foster care while still attending school and trying to live normal teen lives. They certainly aren't out pushing shopping carts through downtown or panhandling on street corners.

The subset of the homeless who are "druggies" or "vagrants" or "panhandlers" or mentally ill is a small fraction of the actual total number of homeless, most of whom are basically hiding in plain sight and trying to go about their lives without being noticed or hassled.

Most homeless policies to provide more low-cost low-income housing and social services are mainly going to help the invisible homeless, not the annoying hard core vagrant types that we tend to notice. A lot of them will probably never go away no matter what we do.