1 year later: Victoria’s $10.35 million safety plan

A year after the City of Victoria diverted more than $10.35 million to address public safety concerns, what changes are the downtown core seeing? The post 1 year later: Victoria’s $10.35 million safety plan appeared first on CHEK .

A year after the City of Victoria diverted more than $10.35 million to address public safety concerns, what changes are the downtown core seeing? On Monday, dozens of people gathered along the Pandora corridor, many huddled outside the supervised consumption site or waiting in line for free food and clothing being distributed by volunteers. Carts were piled high with tents and tarps, with people and chairs lining the blue fence erected by the city to prevent “entrenchment.”

But Mayor Marianne Alto argues the corridor has seen “noticeable” changes since it launched the Community Safety and Wellbeing Plan in July of 2026. “There’s a concentration there for sure. There’s an ongoing conversation about why.

Part of it is about the community that’s been allowed to be built there. Part of it is about the services that are available are there. Part of is about the fact that folks are there because they know other folks who are there,” said Alto.

“The difference in the numbers actually has been noticeable over the last year and the folks that are there now, aren’t the same that were there a year ago.” Alto says many of the block’s unhoused were housed in the 97 new shelter spaces the city created. The new faces along Pandora, she says, go beyond the scope of city hall, pointing to the province.

“A lot of the folks there now are really needing very complicated, very complex supports and care. And as much as we’ll continue to fill the gaps that are there, this points to a much different type of response than any municipality can offer.” Impact to downtown businesses After releasing a scathing report last summer calling for an immediate improvement to downtown safety, the Downtown Victoria Business Association (DVBA) has reported i ts members are reporting a remarkable turnaround .

“There’s just a sense there is sort of less of this sort of disorder that maybe was happening before, because of more police and bylaw presence,” said DVBA President Jeff Bray in January of 2026. Where did the money go? A large part of the city’s $10.35 million investment into the Community Safety and Wellbeing Plan went into the hiring of new police and bylaw.

In addition to funding 97 shelter spaces, the city says nine new Victoria Police and 10 new bylaw officers have been hired, with other funds going towards public cleanup and maintenance, and community services. Downtown Victoria retail vacancy rate increases Retail vacancy has been used by Victoria city staff and as a measure of the plan’s success . In the first quarter of 2026, Colliers Canada is reporting that in contrast to declining vacancy elsewhere, Greater Victoria’s retail space has remained under pressure with overall vacancy rising to “a new historical high” of 10.7 per cent across the region.

Downtown Victoria’s retail vacancy was 13.3 percent . Compare that to the first quarter of 2025, it’s a more than a two per cent increase in retail vacancies in the downtown core. In the first quarter of 2025 , downtown Victoria’s retail vacancy rate was 11.2 per cent.

What’s to come? As city staff are expected to present their one-year summary of the Community Safety and Wellbeing Plan to council on Thursday, the city’s mayor is promising to pursue “inventive” solutions where she can. “We’re beginning to look at every opportunity to be inventive, to be innovative and adaptive.

We have a significant history of the city of Victoria of testing things. And trying to determine which programs work and which ones don’t and which ones can work if they’re adapted. We will continue to do that,” said Alto.

October hosts municipal elections. Alto, who re-running for mayor, says she’s hopeful the next council will continue carrying that same torch. Alto says whoever it is, it won’t be easy.

“The change that needs to still happen is reflective of how complex the problem really is.” City staff will present their year-review of the plan on Thursday. The post 1 year later: Victoria’s $10.35 million safety plan appeared first on CHEK .