The City of Vancouver issued a news release Wednesday saying it has found enough money in its budget to keep public washrooms open in Pigeon Park and Oppenheimer Park.
At the same time, the city said it was unable find money to maintain operations at the washroom trailer located in a lot on Hawks Avenue, adjacent to the Astoria Hotel on East Hastings Street.
“The overdose prevention services funded [at the site] through Vancouver Coastal Health and delivered through RainCity will continue,” the city said. “Staff will work with operators and RainCity on a potential transfer of washroom trailer services and costs if they are able to secure external funding.”
Meanwhile, washrooms at Pigeon Park and Oppenheimer Park, which were originally paid for by federal and provincial grants, were in danger of closing because their temporary funding was set to expire.
“In the coming weeks, the one-time government grant funding allocated to several temporary washroom programs in the DTES, initiated during the COVID-19 pandemic and the East Hastings encampment, will be fully spent,” the city said.
City staff has since identified “internal budgetary savings” that will keep the washrooms open at Pigeon Park and Oppenheimer Park “for the near future.” Both facilities are staffed by attendants.
“These facilities, owned by the city, would otherwise face closure without the attendants present to ensure maintenance and security,” the city said in the release.
The city didn’t disclose the cost of operating the washrooms, but Sarah Blyth-Gerszak of the Overdose Prevention Society on East Hastings Street believed it was roughly $250,000 per year for Pigeon Park.
She said up to eight attendants work on a rotating 12-hour shift every day of the year.
“That's the lion's share of that money,” Blyth-Gerszak said Wednesday. “It's definitely good value for the dollar. I'm very confident in saying that. It's a hard job, and it would cost more to get city workers pick poo up off the street.”
'Daily flushes'
In recent weeks, Blyth-Gerszak and other community residents have led a social media campaign, which included a video, to pressure the city and other governments to keep the washrooms open.
She said she was happy to hear the news Wednesday.
“We're obviously thrilled to move on from for advocating for basic public services,” she said, adding that public washrooms in the Downtown Eastside should be built into the city’s annual operating budget.
Blyth-Gerszak said the Overdose Prevention Society has also secured community partner funding to continue washroom services at 144 East Hastings St.
The scale of human waste in the Downtown Eastside, Chinatown and downtown was outlined in a city staff report in January 2022. A program that launched in March 2021 resulted in a two-person non-profit team removing more than 13,000 “feces collections” from the streets in 2021.
A separate report said “daily flushes” at the Pigeon Park automated public toilet reached 3,000 in June 2023.
'Dignified and durable washrooms models'
The city pointed out there are more than a dozen public washrooms in and around the Downtown Eastside, including the provincially-funded DTES Food and Wellness Hub and Evelyne Saller Centre, which provide washrooms, showers, laundry and other services.
“City staff are actively exploring other dignified and durable washroom models that are better designed to meet the safety and accessibility needs of individuals experiencing homelessness and can be operated more affordably,” the release said.
The city said it has also identified operational funding to allow the continuation of Project Hope through the end of the year.
Project Hope was initiated in March 2023 to improve cleanliness in the Downtown Eastside while giving jobs to people facing barriers to traditional employment. Run by Mission Possible, the program was initially made possible until June 2024 through a provincial grant.
“Staff are exploring long-term funding options to continue these valuable services, including micro-cleaning, pressure washing and community outreach, which supplement the city’s daily operations and make a positive impact in community,” the city said.
