Most letter writers to our local newspaper, #TimesColonist are quite conservative & cruel in how they think about marginalized peoples. You rarely see compassion in TC letters published, that Mr. Chris Holiday has shown. I don't know the person but grateful locals like them exist.

"Give more respect to those unhoused
I have been appalled at the increasing level of stigmatization and hatred directed toward the unhoused population.

I live on Pandora Avenue and frequently walk by individuals suffering most severely from our province’s housing crisis. I’ve witnessed individuals in crisis and using threatening language towards passersby but I have also witnessed verbal harassment of unhoused individuals coming from the balconies of luxury apartments.

Public safety is a two-way street, everyone deserves the right to safety and dignity. A 2023 study by the Ministry of Housing reports that 67% of unhoused individuals have lived in their community for more than five years and 23% for their entire lives.

These are our neighbours, and they deserve respect just as much as us who are housed.

Chris Holiday

Victoria"

https://www.timescolonist.com/opinion/letters-sept-16-facing-financial-disaster-lightstations-not-lifeboats-respect-for-the-unhoused-9525284

#YYJpoli #VictoriaBC #YYJCitizens #BreakTheStigmas #HelpTheHomeless #HomelessLivesMatter #HelpNotHarm #PovertyIsNotACrime #HouseTheHomeless #HomelessnessIsNotACrime #BCpoli #SocialHousingNow #HousingCrisis #RentalCrisis #BCNDP #YYJ #CDNpoli #Marginalized #VulnerablePopulation #Stigmatized #StigmaKills #SmashStigmas