By The Canadian Press

Victoria’s courthouse campers on move to shelter after months outside

Jan 4, 2016 | 1:34 PM

VICTORIA — Almost half of the homeless people who built a tent village last year on the lawn of the Victoria Law Courts are moving indoors.

Victoria Mayor Lisa Helps says 40 of the 110 people camping at the court house grounds are voluntarily moving to a shelter facility funded by the British Columbia government, the City of Victoria and the United Way.

Helps says the $500,000 shelter project includes indoor tents for privacy and three meals a day.

Victoria has been wresting with the issue of homeless people camping since a 2008 court ruling allowed people to pitch their tents in city parks when shelters are full.

Helps says the city spends $600,000 annually on staff to clean up the parks and police officers who enforce the bylaw that requires people to break camp at 7 a.m.

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There has been at least one drug overdose death at the court house camp and one man was injured in a recent stabbing incident.

The Canadian Press

©2016 The Canadian Press