Victoria's Our Place faces squeeze as donations drop

For Victoria's Our Place Society, 2016 has seen a dramatic growth in services to poor and homeless people in the capital region, and an equally dramatic decline in available resources.

The non-profit's services have increased by 100,000 meals and 155 beds, but donations have dropped by $250,000.

"Kind of a pity," Our Place spokesperson Grant McKenzie told On the Island host Gregor Craigie.

"I think a lot of people had a negative reaction to tent city and I think they kind of took away their donations from places like Our Place."

• Former Victoria youth detention centre opens as homeless shelter
• Opioid crisis prompts opening of multiple 'overdose prevention sites'
• PHOTOS:'My dog is my life': caring for pets who live on Victoria's streets

The drop in revenues could force Our Place to cut its staffing and hours of operation, McKenzie said.

"I think people have forgotten this year how important a place like Our Place is."

Our Place provides a drop-in centre, meals and outreach programs for 600 to 800 people a day, as well as 45 transitional housing units at their Pandora Avenue building.

Earlier this year the B.C. government also contracted Our Place Society to operate three facilities for the homeless campers.

They include an overnight shelter in the basement of First Metropolitan United Church, plus two transitional housing facilities:"My Place" in the former Boys and Girls Club on Yates Street and "Choices" in the former youth detention centre in View Royal.

While those places are funded by the province, McKenzie said, "Our Place is really done by donations except for the housing."

Untreated mentallyill seeking help

Homelessness gets the headlines, but McKenzie said many of the people who seek help at Our Place have a place to live, but not enough money left over for food.

He saidthey are also seeing more people with untreated mental illness.

"They're falling through the cracks, they can't seem to get the supports they need, and they've ended up on the street for no reason of their own," McKenzie said.

Brett MacMillan says the support he's received at the Choices facility from Our Place Society has helped him transition back to nearly full-time work and soon, he hopes, a home of his own.

A self-described gambling addict, he said he was unable to take on steady work while staying in overnight shelters, where access to showers was limited.

Now he is working for a demolition company. "It keeps me busy in the day and I can start putting money away to get a half-decent place," MacMillan said.