By: Zobia Khalid, Peak Associate
Using the bathroom in seclusion is a basic right we all deserve. Bathrooms provide a private area to maintain our bodily needs, clean ourselves, apply makeup, and even have a safe haven to cry. They’re essential for an equitable society. However, for the houseless or those who may use the restroom more frequently, this need is barely being met due to the lack of public bathrooms in Vancouver.
It’s no surprise the city has decided to remove two public restrooms in the Downtown Eastside, as the municipal government has continually shown it doesn’t care about the marginalized populations that live there. Earlier last year, the forced displacement of people living in tents on East Hastings left a vulnerable population without a safe or familiar area. This was home for many people — the streets, people, the local shops. And street sweeps are a common occurrence, as this year in January the city continued the displacement of houseless individuals in East Hastings again.
While many may argue the closure of public restrooms is due to cost, keep in mind that the city spent $409,000 dollars just to dispatch police officers for the decampment in January. A public toilet costs about $37,000–$48,000 annually. Moreover, the city’s willingness to spend $645,000 on a public toilet in Yaletown, a higher-income neighbourhood, clearly shows an ulterior motive.
People can only walk in that discomfort for so long before they end up having an accident or get an infection.
Many businesses who have bathrooms restrict them to paying customers only, or discriminate against houseless people. Often when requesting a key, houseless people are told the bathroom is out of order, despite seeing others come out of it. One individual told Global News they ended up having an accident at the sixth shop they approached. The incident was very embarrassing and dehumanizing — no one should have to go through that.
Being a menstruating houseless person is an even more cumbersome process. While shelters provide a limited amount of menstruation products, it’s not even enough to last an average person a day. Many people resort to rolled up toilet paper, which can only last so long before it leaks. Walking around from business to business just to get denied only lengthens that journey to privacy. People can only walk in that discomfort for so long before they end up having an accident or get an infection.
Vancouver is slowly expanding their decampment efforts beyond East Hastings, destroying rich communities and cultures. The ongoing CRAB Park evictions on Waterfront Road continue to displace houseless people under the guise of safety. The truth is, the city does not care about them as much as those with more privilege. They just want to have the highest paying individual in every area, and the start is by denying basic human rights like bathrooms. There’s no doubt the city can afford to increase access to public restrooms for everyone, and it’s about time they do so.
