Gerald Lee was in his recreational vehicle — which doubles as his home — at 4:30 a.m. when the quiet was shattered by a rock thrown at his windshield.Lee, who was parked on a street in downtown Duncan at the time of the June 30 incident, is part of a growing community of unhoused people who live in their RVs because they have nowhere else to live.This past week, he has parked near the highway close to a fast-food outlet where he counted on lights and security cameras to protect his vehicle.
They face bans on overnight parking, tickets from municipal bylaw officers responding to complaints, residents who don’t want them in their neighbourhoods, constant relocation, rising costs of fuel, and the worry of possible expensive repairs, he said. In his letter, he noted that current bylaws do not allow people to live in RVs unless they’re parked at “overfull and costly RV parks,” which is a hardship for many.
Some of those living in RVs hold down jobs, while others are living on disability benefits. If someone on social assistance lives in an RV, their housing allowance is clawed back because they are not in an apartment, Simmonds said. Duncan staff are preparing a report on the issue for Duncan and North Cowichan’s next joint meeting, which North Cowichan Mayor Al Siebring expects to take place after the Oct. 15 municipal elections.
While North Cowichan doesn’t want people living in RVs on municipal streets — or even on properties that aren’t zoned as campsites — the municipality understands the situation some people without homes are facing, Siebring said. “We are not doing a whole lot of enforcement.”