There are some new faces on the block these days – University of Victoria sociology professor Mike Ma and a number of his students, who are in the “observation” phase of a two-part study into the impact of bylaw seizures on people living homeless and the visibility of homelessness. The group is hitting the block on most days throughout October timed to the the early-morning arrival of bylaw enforcement. The students count people, tents and items such as carts, shelters and mobility devices before and after the seizures, looking for what – if anything – is changing in terms of visible homelessness as a result of the enforcement. “Bylaw officers or police could be doing these counts, as they’re paid to be out here. But they’re not, and that’s what has driven our desire to count, ” says Mike. “As academics, we want to understand what we don’t know. If the goal is to move people from Pandora, well, what if they’re just moving right back? We’re counting the visibility.”