Vancouver's homeless residents will have access to World Cup screenings at five city-run sites, but the approach has drawn criticism for not addressing the root causes of homelessness. While other North American host cities are using the tournament to boost housing supply, Vancouver's plan relies on existing services.
World Cup Viewing Spaces for Homeless
City workers transformed a municipal building at Oppenheimer Park into a World Cup viewing space for residents experiencing homelessness. The Downtown Eastside field house, normally a daytime respite space, will host screenings on five match days: June 13, June 18, June 21, June 26, and July 2.
City staff installed a “FIFA viewing parties” poster and arranged the space for the international tournament. The site will offer low-cost meals, washrooms, and a cool place to rest, with extended hours on match days.
Residents Skeptical
However, for people who spend much of their time in the park, the offering has drawn little attention. “Most of us are waiting for the World Cup to be over and done with so we can go back to our regular lives,” said Shawn Hefele, who stood with friends in the park. “An event like FIFA doesn’t feel inviting for people like us; it would have really been nice if the city sent some of that money back into the neighbourhood for something like better housing.”
One of his friends, “Tuner,” is homeless and carries all his belongings on a large cart, including his cat, Ursa Major. Around them, other locals spread out on the park’s grass and benches, some drinking coffee offered at the field house, others smoking drugs.
Enforcement Continues
A few blocks away, city bylaw officers with police presence continued clearing sections of East Hastings Street, removing makeshift shelters, tents, garbage and debris. The four-block stretch is one of the busiest in the Downtown Eastside and central to Vancouver’s homelessness crisis.
While the city’s host committee has pledged no street sweeps targeting people sheltering outside during the tournament, its plan says bylaw officers will continue enforcing daytime camping bans in parks and ensuring “parks remain usable by the whole community during the daytime” and “sidewalks and streets remain safe, clean, and accessible.”
When asked if he felt increased pressure by the city’s downtown bylaw enforcement tied to FIFA-related preparations, Tuner told Postmedia: “I just keep pushing my cart on the road so I don’t get told to move along.” “If we all had tents with wheels, I feel like they wouldn’t ever bug us.”
