A log jam on council is keeping discussion of any new housing or shelter for Maple Ridge in suspension. After months of discussions with the provincial government, Coun. Gordy Robson said he’s had his last closed meeting on the topic.
He and others have said there will be no more meetings in camera with B.C. Housing.
“We have asked them time and time, for almost three months, to hold a public consultation meeting, and so far they have chosen not to do so.”
Robson wants B.C. Housing to have a public meeting to discuss what type of shelter Maple Ridge could have, or if it should have one or where it should go.
“We have no indication from B.C. Housing that they’re willing to have that discussion with the public. As far as I’m concerned, B.C. Housing is stopping all progress on any kind of solution,” Robson said.
He wants the agency to hold the meeting and to make the case and get social licence for a shelter or supportive housing complex.
“The first thing is, do we want a shelter? And if we do, what does that mean?”
B.C. Housing has been refusing to do that for almost a year, he added.
But Coun. Craig Speirs said B.C. Housing wants to have a meeting in partnership with the City of Maple Ridge, pointing out that B.C. Housing usually doesn’t host such meetings by itself.
That point is holding up any kind of housing announcement.
“To me, it’s absolutely frustrating,” Speirs said.
In the meantime, people at the Anita Place Tent City, which opened last May, are deteriorating.
“Can you imagine trying to address your addiction while you’re living on the street.”
Speirs says Maple Ridge is the only city out of 46 that hasn’t established a partnership with the province to produce homes of any kind.
He’s now calling for the provincial government to act unilaterally without the city’s involvement, and create some kind of temporary or emergency housing here.
“The majority on council does not want to work with the provincial government to produce housing for our vulnerable population. Two on council don’t even want a shelter,” Speirs said.
As a result, he wants the options that were discussed and rejected last year back on the table. Those include the temporary homeless shelter in the old mattress shop, as well as 21375 Lougheed Hwy. and the Quality Inn, now the Econo Lodge.
The temporary homeless shelter closed this spring after opening in October 2015 to allow the clearing of the Cliff Avenue homeless camp. Speirs said B.C. Housing is still paying the rent on the mattress shop location.
The 21375 Lougheed Hwy. location and the Quality Inn, were rejected as locations for supportive housing and emergency shelter locations, priced at $15 million, by the then-Liberal MLAs because of public opposition.
But last spring’s provincial election was fought on the issue of homelessness and Liberals MLAs Doug Bing and Marc Dalton were defeated as a result, said Speirs, an NDP supporter.
“We’ve become the city of hate and that’s just not right,” Speirs said.