In a police update on a series of shootings that killed two people and injured two others on Monday, Langley City Mayor Val van den Broek became emotional when asked about the victims, of whom at least two are believed to be that they were experiencing homelessness.
Through tears, she revealed that she knew two of the people killed, and how their experience highlighted the larger issue of homelessness she was determined to address – as well as the number of people facing no housing. The dangers
“Honestly, I’m just heartbroken this morning,” she said. “I can’t say it another way, because I know some of the people involved.
“We have been in situations where people have come and been begging me to stay home for the night. And I don’t have anything. I have to tell them, ‘I’m sorry, I have nowhere for you.’ So… maybe that’s the driving force going forward.”
Police did not confirm at that press conference whether any victims were homeless, although an early-morning emergency alert was sent for the shooting, which referred to “transient victims”.
Yet Kim Snow, who runs the homeless advocacy group Kimz Angels — and asked the question that prompted Van den Broek’s emotional response — said she also knew two people killed in the shooting who were experiencing homelessness.
“I’m angry, disappointed, sad, disappointed,” she told Global News.
“We know every homeless person on the street. We know them personally, so it’s hard for us to hear that something like this is happening to our people, as I call them. They’re suffering souls, they There are good people… who are on the street, not of their choice.”
Police have not disclosed the names of the victims, saying they are still working to inform the families.
Snow and other homelessness advocates say the shootings have highlighted the vulnerabilities people face in homelessness, which makes them easy targets for violence.
“Most of the people who have faced these attacks have been exposed and exposed,” said Keir MacDonald, CEO of the Phoenix Society on Langley Homelessness.
“It leaves them so vulnerable to these (attacks), whether they’re pre-planned or just like the moment, (and) they’re in the wrong place at the wrong time.”
Latest Metro Vancouver Homeless Counts in 2020 It was found that there were 209 people in Langley City and Township, who were identified as homeless. While that number was roughly the same as the previous report in 2017, the number of “dependents” increased by 26 percent to 108 – more than half of the total number.
Van den Broek told reporters that while his city has taken a number of steps to address homelessness – including forming the Langley Homelessness Task Force and expanding extreme weather shelters – more work needs to be done.
This includes sitting with all levels of government and discussing more housing and infrastructure to help people out of dangerous situations, she said.
“Social issues have been going on for a really long time, and we need a plan,” he told reporters in a separate press conference with Snow, who said the city council also needed to show more support.
“The Kimz Angels have been doing this (advocacy work) for over 20 years, and it’s always like, ‘Yes, we’ll get low-cost housing, we’re doing it,’ but they build these huge[residential]) buildings … and nobody pays attention to the homeless,” Snow said.
Van den Broek also highlighted the difficulties of addressing homelessness as a whole, as everyone has different reasons for not having a permanent home or living on the street that cannot be solved with a single fix. . But he was quick to add that this should not be used as an excuse.
“I would like to say where do we start, but we just need to start,” she said.
Concerns were also expressed by homeless advocates that emergency alerts sent to smartphones in the Lower Mainland and other parts of BC for Monday’s shootings were not received by members of the homeless community, many of whom do not have such phones.
Public Safety Minister Mike Farnsworth said a review would be conducted to improve the alert system, including ensuring that people experiencing homelessness are properly alerted to the dangers.
— With files from Global’s Darya Zargar and Kamil Karmalik
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