Conversation about housing in Victoria is often focused on complaints and concerns: “Why does rent have to be this high when other places are cheap?”; “Why is rent so high for students?”; and the increasingly ubiquitous “Why am I paying so much money to live downtown where I don’t feel safe?”—what they speak of here is the unhoused vulnerable population.
But there are many who hope to change the conversation, and who hope to give back to others in positions they may have been in before. Clairmont Conditioning owner Mylan Clairmont has started a crowdfunding initiative to raise money for a down payment on a supportive transitional housing complex for local social services organization SOLID Outreach Society.
According to Statistics Canada in 2023, “While financial and relationship issues are the most common causes of homelessness, health-related issues can also lead to homelessness episodes.” Clairmont is hoping that by having a fully transparent conversation about the funding and how any amount counts, they can change people’s outlooks and offer some more kindness.
“The biggest thing for me is to demonstrate community support,” he says.
No one is exempt from the possibility of displacement, and if students were to find themselves in these positions but a bed was unavailable for even just one night, it could leave them in an unsafe position. Victoria residents have resources available to address the housing problem for students, but change has come slow.
“There needs to be a multifaceted approach,” says Clairmont. “If there’s people who might take places that students would be in, that might free up some space.”
After talking with some local businesses, it was time for Clairmont to take action.
“In having conversations like this… [business owners have said], ‘Yeah, I would pay $10 extra a month if it meant it would fix the problem [of displacement],’” says Clairmont.
The government has long failed to put adequate funding into supportive facilities. Waiting for beds to open, lack of social workers, and community support or interest contribute to the cycle of homelessness. Clairmont wants to fill this gap and he feels equipped with his background.
“I spent eight or nine years working with at-risk youth living in poverty in Ottawa,” he says, “and it’s hard for me not to see these individuals as grown-up versions of them.”
When people are brought back from BC-funded supportive facilities into a community where they’ve had problems before, it’s more likely to resurface and happen again. Clairmont says a necessary remedy to this issue is discussing it.
“People that are helping the cause, talk to your parents, talk to your in-laws, friends… They may be looking to get involved in the community,” he says.
Clairmont says the issue is in the community’s hands.
“We all agree this exists,” he says, “and nobody wants it to be happening.”
Visit victoriahousingcrowdfund.ca for more information.