Maple Ridge has said no, for a third time, to a supportive housing and shelter complex in the city, and the mayor is asking instead for a new type of facility to pilot.
Maple Ridge Mayor Nicole Read wants the province to do the right thing, as difficult as it may be, and create a new housing model, a pilot housing project that has higher quality health care that can help severely ill people, because she and the public, won’t accept anything else.
“At the end of the day, do what we said what was needed, a better health-care model,” Read said Wednesday.
“The province needs to show up with courage.”
Council, on May 22, rejected B.C. Housing’s plan to put an 85-unit supportive housing and shelter complex at 11761 Burnett St. Two previous locations, one at the former Quality Inn, the other at 21375 Lougheed Hwy., were cancelled by the provincial government in 2016 because of public outcry.
Housing Minister Selina Robinson has responded with a letter expressing disappointment, leading the mayor to work on a response in return. That’s not yet finished but Read is adamant a better model, with high levels of health care provided, involving Fraser Health, is needed for helping addicted and mentally ill people.
“You can’t keep them in housing until you deal with that. They need so much support.”
Read says that, currently, supportive housing complexes or shelters offer a roof over people’s heads, but are staffed with people with minimal qualifications, while there’s no tracking system that shows what’s happening to people as they enter or leave housing.
As well, the amount of support provided by outside agencies, such as Fraser Health, is vague, with contracts not spelling out the level of care needed.
“We need to bring people inside and off the street, no question. But how they do once they’re in there is dependent on the type and levels of services put in the facility.”
Without contracts that entail hiring clinical support staff far beyond what’s been previously provided, “I don’t know how these people get better,” Read said.
“I’m concerned about people in the street not getting better.”
“Try something different. Pilot a different level of support. I don’t know what that looks like … I would rethink the way I contract out or at least I would execute a different contract for Maple Ridge and try it.”
She cites millions a year spent on the Downtown Eastside, with no noticeable effect, as a reason that change is needed. Nevertheless, all types of housing are needed to help all population sectors and she remains optimistic, saying the provincial government has “shown capacity for taking strong positions.”
Robinson, though, said B.C. Housing has already changed its housing approach with its Rapid Response to Homelessness that offers “24/7 supports for residents that delivered by skilled operators working in partnership with local authorities, including Fraser Health.”
Read counters though there are no specifics explaining the level of care provided in the Rapid Response to Homelessness.
B.C. Housing also follows the Housing First approach, in which street people are given a place to live first, then provided support services so they can deal with their personal issues.
B.C. Housing cities a four-year study by the Mental Health Commission of Canada across five Canadian cities shows that Housing First works and leads to reduced use of health and social services.
Robinson had earlier offered to separate the shelter component from the supportive housing part of the complex proposed for Burnett Street.
The minister has also invited the city to choose a location, and offered to switch locations of the supportive housing complex and the seniors housing project planned for 21375 Lougheed Hwy. The city, though, hasn’t responded to that.
Coun. Bob Masse said there are new housing models that provide more progressive, health-care-based housing.
He said B.C. Housing’s current model is fragmented and doesn’t allow people to progress or move from one step to the next.
“It’s just not a very comprehensive, connected, highly functioning system.”
Masse also wants statistics to show how homelessness is being improved. He wants an integrated, planned system.
B.C. Housing is implementing a new information-sharing system between ministries to track outcomes, with a report expected next year.
Masse said council wants actual, viable, long-term solutions, a pilot program to be rolled out first in Maple Ridge.
He pointed out that the 55 temporary modular homes being built on Royal Crescent will provide more new housing in the meantime. Those are supposed to be ready by the fall.