Earlier this week, Prince George City Council sanctioned a plan to make Moccasin Flats in lower Patricia the one and only outside space where our city’s homeless populace can stay overnight.
UNDU (United Northern Drug Users), an organization that works closely with people living with Moccasin Flats, does not agree with the call, and is unsatisfied by the city’s lack of support in the area.
Juls Budau is the UNDU Program Coordinator; she said there are many reasons why the choice did not sit right with her and the organization.
“I think it takes away much personal freedom from people,” she said.
“Some of these folks are still disturbed from when the city came in, demolished all of their things, and then denied that it ever happened.”
Budau also does not trust the encampment has sufficient space to hold the total of Prince George’s homeless populace, and that people who do not have the capacity to build shelters could be at a severe disadvantage.
“Some people don’t want to be found,” she continued, saying some homeless people – many of whom are indigenous women – are avoiding predators or former users, and being held in one place could cause a serious risk to some of these people.
Many of the frustrations stem from long-standing problems UNDU has had with the city – she said the camp would be a lot more functional if the city helped offer some of the basics.
“They are not giving Moccasin Flats toilets, they are not permitting us to hook up to power, there is no running water in Moccasin Flats,” Budau clarified.
“They want to force people to go there devoid of providing anything sanitization-wise.”
Saik’uz First Nation is presently providing Moccasin Flats with two porta-potties that are serviced two times a week. There is also no access to running water in the region.
UNDU wants to connect to hydro and provide power to the camp.
Budau said they have offered to fundraise the cash and make it happen themselves, and the city has denied the requests.
This has forced the camp to run only off gas powered generators, she said it costs up to $75 a day just to run the trailer at the encampment where hydro would be just moneys.
A consequence of this, Budau warned, is “if they force everybody to depend on generators, there will probably be a lot more gas theft around the city, honestly. Because how else are people going to stay warm and alive?”
Particularly if the city plans on moving the homeless populace to one location, Budau is calling on them to give the camp access to power, running water, provide more portapotties and cleansing options, and bring back the dumpster service that ran in summer of 2021.
City staff will return to council with a centralization plan at a later meeting, and a report with alternatives to increase police presence in the Millar Addition and business district.
