[fatbird]

I live on one side of Vancouver's Downtown Eastside (DTES), work on the other side, and walk through it twice a day. DTES is the centre of gravity for at-risk populations in the lower mainland, and it's basically where you see the homeless, the crazy, and the addicted hanging out, shooting up, and pitching tents.

It's never bothered me, and I've never been bothered. My property value is still amongst the highest in Canada. Various agencies have wisely decided to colocate services in the DTES to help the at-risk groups, and a touch of gentrification keeps police and city services involved.

So basically, I don't give a shit about a "homeless colony" (what, they're an infestation?) right next to my current house, and I'm glad that the attention it receives is focused on helping the people there rather than trying move them somewhere out of sight and out of mind.