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Less than a year after the tent city on the courthouse lawn was closed by the province, another downtown park is becoming a focal point for homelessness issues in Victoria.

Reeson Park, a small waterfront greenspace on Wharf Street, next to the Johnson Street Bridge, has long been a spot where a few homeless people might camp overnight.

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But a recent increase in campers and personal items stored on the walkways has drawn the ire of neighbours and passersby, while a planned redevelopment of the park has poverty advocates crying foul over displacement of the city’s homeless in favour of gentrification.

At least half a dozen packed carts and suitcases lined the sidewalk on a recent weekday afternoon.

A handful of people sitting on the steps passed around cans of beer and a joint as groups of tourists walked by and others enjoyed the sun on the lawn.

On the sidewalk above the park, Roy Osmond tied his belongings into a tightly packed shopping cart while his wife and dog napped on the pavement.