Podcasts

Vancouver’s Downtown East Side has long been associated with high levels of homelessness and substance abuse, issues which many cities across the country are now facing. Host Mary Rowe talks to two people who help deliver services and housing supports to people in the neighbourhood, with lessons that other communities can learn.

Across the country, people are increasingly turning to encampments for shelter. These informal communities spotlight many complex challenges, from housing affordability to substance use and mental health issues. Encampments also present challenges to the social and economic functioning of neighbourhoods and downtown areas.

Many of our cities’ biggest challenges right now are playing out inside public libraries. Willingly or not, library staff come face-to-face daily with issues relating to homelessness, substance use, mental and physical health, and, of course, education. As they continue to adapt to society’s needs and provide more services, their funding isn’t growing.

Author Adam Greenfield believes that we need a new kind of institution at the heart of each neighbourhood to prepare us for climate disaster. He calls it a “lifehouse.” He argues that this community hub could provide everything from refuge during emergencies, to ongoing services like daycare and workshops.

This week marks the 20th anniversary of the floods that devastated New Orleans when Hurricane Katrina struck. In many ways, New Orleans gave us a preview of what other cities would come up against in the face of climate disaster.

Last summer, Beth Sanders was getting ready to lead a new planning department for Jasper, Alberta when the municipality was evacuated due to wildfires. The fires ended up destroying around a third of the town.