British Columbia's housing minister says the frustration over the homelessness situation in the Tri-Cities goes both ways.
Responding to statements made by Port Moody Mayor Meghan Lahti on Tuesday, July 23, that the provincial government needs to take immediate action to provide better supports for homeless populations so they’re not left to live in tents and under tarps near existing overloaded shelters, Ravi Kahlon said local authorities need to step up as well.
Kahlon told the Tri-City News his ministry has been trying for a year to get Port Moody's approval to build a supportive housing facility near the city’s police station, but has so far been rebuffed.
“It’s easy to write letters, but it’s much harder to get it done,” Kahlon said. “Too many people don’t want it in their neighbourhood.”
Kahlon said when municipalities show a willingness to work together and with other levels of government as well as social service agencies, good things can happen, such as STEP Place in Kelowna where the city and BC Housing have built 60 detached tiny short-stay homes to help get people out of tent encampments.
“We are seeing it work in other communities,” Kahlon said, adding he’ll soon be meeting with Coquitlam council to discuss support services around the 3030 Gordon shelter in that city and he’s “always willing” to work with the other mayors in the Tri-Cities.
Lahti said the decision by Port Moody council to send a letter to provincial officials expressing concern about homelessness was sparked by a similar effort by Coquitlam councillors frustrated at the drain on the city’s police and fire resources responding to calls at 3030 Gordon and neighbours’ anxiety over rising crime and open drug use.
Port Moody mayor calls upon B.C. to take immediate action on homelessness https://t.co/w86aZPBSCl
— Tri-City News (@TriCityNews) July 23, 2024
“There has been a recent decrease in shelter spaces and significant gaps in housing supports to address the growing need,” she said.
Andrew Merrill, Coquitlam’s general manager of planning and development services, said RCMP attended nearly 500 calls at 3030 Gordon in 2023, plus another 110 to a city property next door, while Coquitlam Fire/Rescue visited the shelter 218 times, mostly for overdoses or drug poisoning.
Kahlon said the first step to easing those pressures is to get people indoors.
“We have money and we’re ready to come in and put housing units on the ground if we can find locations,” he said. “This is the best way to ensure people are not building encampments in the parks.”
'Predictable,' Coquitlam MLA says of Tri-Cities' homelessness https://t.co/gfXccKBml7
— Tri-City News (@TriCityNews) July 17, 2024
