Welfare-cheque lineups and tent cities were identified months ago by the B.C. government as potential public-relations disasters during the Winter Olympics, according to a confidential risk-management plan.The "2010 business continuity plan" from the province's Housing and Social Development Ministry, obtained by The Globe and Mail, noted the Games could affect the ministry's ability to deliver welfare cheques to its normal clients, provide enough shelter space, prevent evictions and deal with people sleeping on the streets.

Possible tent cities raised the danger of "negative public perception and increased risk of violence," while there could also be "possible adverse public perception of cheque issue line-ups," the plan noted. Some information in the files was blacked out.

Welfare cheques are issued the third Wednesday of every month in B.C., frequently resulting in long lineups outside welfare offices on that day, as well as an intense period of drug-buying and street mayhem immediately after in the Downtown Eastside. In February, Welfare Wednesday will fall on Feb. 17, five days after the 2010 Winter Games start.

Housing Minister Rich Coleman, who confirmed the plan is part of the provincial government's standard risk-assessment procedure for anything it does, said it is not an attempt to whitewash the province's homelessness problems. "We live in a world where people have to deal with social problems. We know that," said Mr. Coleman.

Mr. Coleman spent Monday morning opening a centre in the Downtown Eastside Woodward's project aimed at linking visiting Olympics reporters with housing success stories and people in the neighbourhood.

Instead, the plan is about making sure the ministry is prepared so that it can serve its clients well, he said.
"This is part of the normal process we would go through so that folks most at risk are taken care of," Mr. Coleman said. He said that, to avoid lineups on Feb. 17, the ministry will put on additional staff, setting up secondary facilities and contacting people through outreach workers to make alternative arrangements.

"We think we're in pretty good shape," he said.
Mr. Coleman said the ministry has been working for months to develop alternative cheque-delivery methods for welfare recipients to avoid line-ups, so it's not just a Games issue. He said most other issues identified in the risk-management plan, developed months ago and updated continuously, are under control.

The plan noted that some of the risks could be: lack of shelter spaces; not enough housing for ministry clients because of increased demand for housing associated with the Games; evictions in the period leading up to the Games; clients living inside the security area who won't comply with the security protocol; tent cities erected close to Olympic venues, due to lack of housing.

The plan identified a range of ways to mitigate the problems, such as: "Send in workers [from the province's homelessness initiative team] to do intakes of those without housing," and "Churches are being encouraged to open their doors." It noted that Richmond's cold-weather strategy might be inadequate.

Mr. Coleman said he believes there are enough shelter spaces for anyone who is homeless.