Members of Vancouver’s HART team face homelessness with compassion and sometimes disappointment

In her job responding to Vancouver’s homeless encampments, Sheila Andrews often feels torn.

“What I’ve discovered is this position — it’s not a loved position,” she said. “For the taxpayers, it’s not enough. For the people experiencing homelessness, we do too much. Some days, it really gets in my heart.”

On a recent morning, she stood along Burnt Bridge Creek shaking her head at the mess strewn along its banks. She had previously told people living there that camping in the environmentally sensitive area was illegal.

“They know we’ll come along and clean up after them,” she said. “That’s kind of a hard pill to swallow.”

She felt disappointed in them while also understanding their hardship. That duality comes with serving on Vancouver’s Homeless Assistance and Resources Team. When first formed by the city in 2020, the team initially consisted of a police officer who enforced Vancouver’s camping rules. Now the program has an annual budget of $1.37 million, two police officers and five outreach workers like Andrews. The Columbian spent two days riding with the team from camp to camp — days full of laughter, frustration, cigarettes, tough conversations, kittens, puppies, garbage and hugs.

Read the full story from the Columbian here.