Pubdate: Fri, 02 Jun 2006 Source: Vancouver Courier (CN BC) Copyright: 2006 Vancouver Courier Contact: http://www.vancourier.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/474 Author: Mike Howell, Staff writer NEIGHBOURS SAY CHURCH PROGRAMS ATTRACTING DRUG ACTIVITY Some residents living along 10th Avenue between Ontario and Manitoba streets say that a church's weekly meal services for poor people are attracting drug addicts and dealers to their streets. Michelle Mills, Marilyn Bell and John Davis said they've recently witnessed drug deals and drug use outside the 10th Avenue Alliance Church at 11 West 10th Ave. They've also heard stories from neighbours of break-ins, theft and vandalism. The activity, they believe, is connected to the church's "Out of the Cold" program that runs Monday nights and the "Oasis" drop-in program that runs 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Tuesdays. Both programs offer meals for more than 70 poor people each day. "This is not neighbours against the church and the homeless," said Bell, who has rented the top floor of a heritage house in the neighbourhood for 14 years. "It's neighbours against anything that destroys our livability as a neighbourhood." Bell said the tipping point for her came last month after returning home from vacation. In front of her house at about 6 p.m., a woman with surgical tubing wrapped around one arm and holding the other end with her teeth, was jabbing a syringe into her arm. "I was shocked, nervous and didn't say anything to her because I didn't know what she would do," said Bell, noting that she's found spent syringes in the streets. "This is not acceptable in our neighbourhood." What irks the trio of neighbours even more is they believe the church is operating the meal programs without a city permit. And according to Bob Adair, a city development planner, the neighbours are correct. The city discovered last fall the church didn't have a development permit for what Adair defines as social centre use. With no complaints on file at the time, the city didn't see a need to shut down the meal services. "I wouldn't say it's terribly unusual for some churches to be running these programs without realizing that they need permits for them," he said. "We didn't say we would shut them down in the interim because our information at the time was that they didn't seem to be a problem in the neighbourhood. So we figured it was reasonable to let them keep operating while they actually applied for the permit." Neighbours said they didn't complain in the past because it was only recently that they noticed the drug activity outside their doors. They believe it's because construction to an addition to the church has forced the line-up for meals from an alley behind the church to 10th Avenue. Mills, whose apartment overlooks 10th Avenue, said she regularly sees cars pulling up to the curb outside the church. People sleeping overnight at the church's covered front doors then run up to the cars to make an exchange. "It's drug dealing," said Mills, a former volunteer with the WISH centre in the Downtown Eastside, where many of the sex trade workers are addicts. "What really got me one morning was one guy sleeping outside the church got up and poured out a full bottle of urine on the front steps." What infuriates Davis, who has lived in the neighbourhood for 33 years, is the fact the city is allowing the church to continue its meal services without a permit. He is quick to point out that his anger shouldn't be misconstrued as opposing meals for the homeless. "If I wanted to build a set of stairs without a permit, the city would put a stop order on that right away," said Davis, who has renovated 10 heritage homes in the neighbourhood. Linda Gotts, pastor of missions and outreach for the church, said she is aware of neighbours' concerns but she pointed out Mills, Bell and Davis don't represent all views of residents. Although Gotts said some of the people attending the meal services are addicts, she has not witnessed any illegal activity. Still, she now has staff in reflective vests monitor the line-ups. "We have neighbours that like the programs so much that we have neighbours from the condo complex across the way from our back parking lot who come and volunteer," said Gotts, adding that a neighbour who is a drug and alcohol counsellor supports the programs. "She would hate to see the programs no longer offered in the neighbourhood." Even so, Gotts wants to hear all neighbours' views about the church's programs. To do so, the church is hosting a public meeting June 6 at 7:30 p.m. Police and a city representative will attend. "The last thing we want to do is antagonize the neighbours around the church-that's not our goal. So anything we can do to be more proactive, we're willing to make changes." As for offering the meal services without a permit, Gotts, who has worked for the church for five months, wasn't clear why the church didn't have a permit. She added the city has allowed the programs to continue while the city processes the church's development permit. Vancouver police Insp. Axel Hovbrender, who is the commander in charge of the area, said crime has not increased in the neighbourhood and there appears to be some miscommunication between the church and neighbours. "Our responsibility is to find out exactly what is going on and separate the wheat from the chaff," said Hovbrender, noting homeless people sleeping along the Broadway corridor is nothing out of the ordinary. "However, I'm sure from their perspective they believe that it's increased as a result of some of this activity at the church." - --- MAP posted-by: Beth Wehrman