White Rock's apparent wealth hides a problem with homelessness

It's a Tuesday afternoon in a large event room at Peace Portal Church near White Rock. About 50 people are seated around eight tables. There are local politicians, people from faith groups, non-profits, RCMP officers, and a few members of the public who showed up. Snacks and coffee are laid out on tables to the side.

Everyone in the room appears to be deeply engaged in workshop activities — it's sort of a big jam session to discuss solutions to the area's homelessness issue. 

Homelessness isn't often what comes to mind when one thinks of White Rock and the surrounding peninsula, including part of South Surrey. It's often seen as a wealthier enclave tucked away by the sea. 

But the area isn't immune from the issue that's felt across Metro Vancouver — or discussions about who should step up to do more.

"The reality is, of course, there is affluence here just like any other community. But we do have an underbelly of people that are disadvantaged. It's not visible," said Denise Darrell, executive director of women, seniors and community services at Sources Community Resources Society who was facilitating the workshop.

"People are sleeping under their bridges. People are sleeping behind the Tim Hortons," said Darrell. "We see them, as front line workers, all the time."

The peninsula doesn't have the exposed poverty that other parts of the region have seen — whether it's the Oppenheimer Park encampment in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside, or the tent cities that have popped up in Maple Ridge, Abbotsford, or elsewhere in Surrey.

But according to Joan McMurtry, a local extreme weather shelter coordinator, the fact that the area is perceived as middle class or wealthy is one of the barriers to addressing the issue.

"We have a lot of diversity of income. I think it's 17 per cent of the population is at poverty level," said McMurtry.

She said the 25-bed extreme weather shelter is organized by the Peninsula United Church, which provides services like meals, and rents space from Star of the Sea Parish. It's staffed overnight by Options Community Services, and B.C. Housing makes the call to operate when weather conditions are bad.

McMurtry said there's public funding for the shelter, which is open roughly half the time between Nov. 1 - Mar. 31, but the faith community is carrying the burden.

"For the churches to be hosting the shelter is crazy; it needs to be in a public building," she said.

According to McMurtry, the faith communities have been leading the effort to advocate for the homeless population, as well as providing services, but they've been filling a gap she would like to see governments step into.

Several municipal councillors from both Surrey and White Rock are at the workshop, including White Rock Mayor Darryl Walker.

He said the community's growth has made it less affordable, as property gets redeveloped, and people have been facing so-called 'renovictions,' too, driving them into other areas.

Walker said he'd like to be doing more to create affordable housing in White Rock, and he's working with Metro Vancouver and Surrey to get projects going.

He's looking for land in his municipality that would be appropriate, developers willing to get involved, and non-profits willing to manage simple, affordable housing units that provide the necessities.

He suggested some churches that have seen dwindling congregations may be willing to share some land for affordable housing.

"We can start looking at it," said Walker, "as opposed to building five- and six-thousand square foot houses where two people ramble around in them and it doesn't make a whole lot of sense."

Walker appears to be invigorated with the spirit and energy of the workshop. There are currently two affordable housing facilities in White Rock — both geared toward seniors —but Walker said within a year, he hopes to see more.

"If we all come together, we should find some solutions," he said.