Housing: August 2008 Archives

VANCOUVER - Every night in Oppenheimer Park, Brian Humchitt and his wife Tina lay their heads beneath a large banner that says, "Homelessness is not a crime." They've called the inner city park -- which has become a tent city of sorts -- their only home for the past two months.

Dozens of homeless people and their supporters flock to the Downtown Eastside park, bounded by Jackson, Dunlevy, Powell and Cordova streets, to sleep in tents at night, socialize during the day and take advantage of the soup kitchens, free showers and bathrooms available nearby.

However, violence is common in what some call "Dopenheimer Park." Dealers and addicts jockey for space under the trees, idling away the hours on old mattresses.

The city has contracted security guards to patrol Oppenheimer Park, monitoring the activities there.

Photo: Mark van Manen, Vancouver Sun