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Letters: ‘Ground further into Haney mud’

‘Homelessness is not a crime.’
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(THE NEWS/files) Hail and rain deluged Anita Place Tent City last month.

Editor, The News:

So, as I understand it, if the residents of Anita Place manage to replace their ruined tarps to keep the rain off of their tents, they are prohibited by the fire department since the tarps are not treated to be fire resistant.

Same goes for their tents that give them a semblance of shelter and illusion of privacy – not treated with a fire retardant, either.

And since the storm and flood, during which all of the inhabitants’ worldly goods were floated in suspect waters, the initial offers of replacement help from B.C. Housing was not carried out quickly.

Having no recourse but the reality of living in their tents with their gear, clothing, shoes, bedding still wet, they need heaters to dry out their possessions, further then the heaters are needed to help them last through yet another West Coast winter without incurring pneumonia.

But for space heaters to do their safe intended job, an energy source is needed. Propane tanks are not to be used , nor extension cords, being deemed by someone to be more dangerous for the inhabitants than the real dangers of freezing, sicknesses and lung issues.

Not to code – not in compliance, really?

Somewhere there exists previous ‘code standards’ for having to live in a tent city ? How about calling it survival.

It saddens me that a reoccurring theme of this society is that it is OK for the tent residents to be ground further into the Haney mud by the moral minorities, and city officials stepping on their spirits.

As if the homeless don’t have enough challenges already.

Really , Maple Ridge, you make me embarrassed to say that we used to live there and contributed for 15 years. Get on with enough proper safe shelters built.

Homelessness is not a crime, but a symptom of our breaking economy and society.

Joyce Bunge

Mapel Ridge