The CEO of a Victoria social organization that provides supports for people experiencing homelessness says its plan to get dozens of people off the street by the end of the year may be in tatters after police and bylaw enforcement cleared out an encampment on Pandora Avenue on Thursday, May 16.

Law enforcement had cordoned off a portion of the block and cleared out tents and peoples belongings from the sidewalk in what Our Place CEO Julian Daly said was the biggest sweep theyB次元官网网址檝e ever seen in the encampment.

B次元官网网址淲hat happened this morning, and I actually stood and watched it for two hours myself, was not a standard routine operation. We saw more people cleared off Pandora this morning, than we have literally seen for years,B次元官网网址� said Daly, who was not informed by the city about the sweep.

He said just yesterday there were about 50 tents along the street of people who receive help and support from Our Place and a number of other support organizations that operate in the area. After the sweep, just three tents remained.

ItB次元官网网址檚 been reported that at a press conference at Victoria City Hall, Mayor Marianne Alto said the sweep was routine.

B次元官网网址淏ylaw do come every day to Pandora, a lot more most days and once theyB次元官网网址檝e left, the vast majority of tents are still there. They tend to ask people to take down tents when theyB次元官网网址檙e blocking the pavement, or safety issues or something like that. And people do. But the vast majority of tents are left standing once they left each day. That was not the case this morning,B次元官网网址� he said.

Last week, Our Place announced that they are working to get everyone who was living on Pandora Avenue by using an individualized approach to help find the right treatments and housing for everyone by the end of the year, and they have heard heard prior support from the city about the initiative.

In a recent survey they did with Pandora residents, they found that 95 per cent of people are currently struggling with their mental health, 85 per cent have untreated physical ailments, and 39 per cent are currently interested in accessing treatment programs.

B次元官网网址淲hat this does now is they donB次元官网网址檛 come back, and most probably wonB次元官网网址檛. Now weB次元官网网址檝e lost contact with those people who were on Pandora, and we knew what it would take to get them off,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淣ow our street outreach team, which is only two people, try and reconnect with as many of those as possible, but when people are dispersed over large areas, itB次元官网网址檚 going to be very difficult to do that. ThereB次元官网网址檒l be many of those people we then lose contact with completely. So I think thatB次元官网网址檚 unfortunate because there was a clear pathway of Pandora for for many of those folks. I think thatB次元官网网址檚 been compromised today.B次元官网网址�

-With files from Mark Page

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