Housing is the first step in the journey to healing for any marginalized population, BC Housing CEO Shayne Ramsay said during the Chamber of Commerce鈥檚 Okanagan College Series luncheon on Tuesday afternoon.
And, in 琉璃神社鈥檚 tight and expensive housing market, accommodations can be hard to come by.
Housing prices are up 32 per cent since 2014, rent is up more than 26 per cent and the city is well below the healthy vacancy rate of three per cent, according to Ramsay.
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He went on to say the significant population growth in 琉璃神社 has also put a lot of pressure on the existing housing stock.
Ramsay said since 2016, 琉璃神社 has seen a 23 per cent increase, or nearly 300 people, experiencing homelessness. Foster care and group homes have also seen a significant boost, many of which are aging out when they turn 19 and in turn, face homelessness.
BC Housing projects, such as the controversial supportive housing development slated for McCurdy Road, are created to remedy this by providing safe and affordable housing for people facing a variety of circumstances, including homelessness, domestic violence and youth aging out of foster care and group homes.
鈥淲e will take a lot of responsibility for the lack of information and process around McCurdy,鈥� Ramsay said.
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Following a special City of 琉璃神社 council meeting held on July 17, Mayor Colin Basran informed a packed council chamber that BC Housing and the B.C. Minister of Housing Selina Robinson have agreed to make the McCurdy Road house a facility that will not tolerate the use of drugs or alcohol on site.
The change to the operational model in McCurdy was possible due to the 鈥渞ange of other options in 琉璃神社,鈥� Ramsay said.
鈥淭here is 10 other accessible supportive housing development,鈥� he said鈥斺�渁ccessible鈥� being his choice word for facilities that allow for drugs and alcohol on site 鈥攁lso known as a 鈥渨et鈥� facility.
Ramsay noted other significant changes to the operational model include additional staff in the form of in-house nursing staff seven days a week. The demand of the nurses鈥� time will be determined by monitoring the needs of the McCurdy residents, he added.
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And those health-care needs will likely be higher for those who have spent a greater amount of time living on the streets, he said.
鈥淧eople will tell you when you are recovering from addictions, you will always be recovering from it.鈥�
Low-barrier homes are important to many individual recovery journeys as addictions is a 鈥渙ne step forward, two steps back鈥� process, Ramsay explained.
鈥淚t鈥檚 about getting the information and the results of our research out there,鈥� he said.
Reviews are completed six months into any new operation and Ramsay said it works. Findings have shown significant improvements in residents including using fewer drugs, getting into detoxification programs and connecting with services.
鈥淏ringing them inside, stabilizing their lives and giving them a meal allows that to happen,鈥� he said. 鈥淎nd if you don鈥檛 do it, it鈥檚 really hard to connect with a person who is living in a doorway.
These are folks that live in our communities,鈥� he said. 鈥�(Housing) provides the first step to allow them to heal.鈥�
Another BC Housing project planned for McIntosh Road will come before council in August seeking a development permit.
Caitlin.clow@kelownacapnews.com
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