A framework for action : Framework for action revised

In September 2000, the federal and provincial governments and the City under the Vancouver Agreement announced the first phase of a program to address the urgent and complex social, economic, and health and safety issues of the Downtown Eastside. [...] The four goals of A Framework for Action are: 1. Provincial and Federal Responsibility: To persuade other levels of government to take action and responsibility for elements of the frame- work within their jurisdiction by encouraging a regional approach to the development of services, and by demonstrating the city-wide, regional, national and international implications of the drug problems in Vanc [...] The City of Vancouver operates community centres, supports neighbourhood houses and facilities and programs in the downtown core, such as the Carnegie Centre, Gathering Place, and the Evelyne Saller Centre, which offer services to at-risk populations and contribute to the overall social development of the city. [...] As well as incorporating input from the public and the Coalition, A Framework for Action includes findings and recommendations from the Vancouver Agreement Substance Misuse Strategy, the Kaiser Youth Foundation, the Lower Mainland Municipal Association, the Federal and Provincial Governments, the Vancouver/Richmond Health Board (V/RHB), the Ministry for Children and Families, Vancouver City Police [...] However, the increase in purity of heroin around 1992 and the introduction of cheap cocaine and crack-cocaine to the city in the early 1990s had a devastating impact on individuals and communities.