Every day, every medium in Greater Victoria (and, I’m sure, elsewhere), has stories about the homeless. None of these stories talk about the fact that there are two types of homeless people.
One group consists of law-abiding, rational, reasonable citizens who are, through bad luck, not able to afford a place to live. They would like to work but can’t, or have jobs that do not pay enough to allow them to pay rent in Greater Victoria. They cause no problems to their neighbours, and want nothing more than to be able to survive.
The second group consists of drug addicts and alcoholics, and/or those who have no interest in working. They wouldn’t take a job if it were offered. They break into cars and homes, they prey on their fellows, they intimidate everyone with whom they come in contact.
Unfortunately, the second group gives the other 10 percent a bad name.
Ian Cameron
Brentwood Bay