Maple Ridge council will hold a special meeting Monday to discuss homelessness.
The meeting, at 6 p.m. in council chambers, will provide updates from a number of stakeholders on their work to address homelessness in Maple Ridge, according to the city.
Presenters:
• Ridge Meadows RCMP Supt. David Fleugel, on policing response related to homelessness;
• from Alouette Addictions, executive director Annika Polegato, with an update on its work with people who have transitioned from the streets into housing and its "interface" with people who remain living on the street;
• from Fraser Health, Andy Libbiter, Denyse Houde and Dr. Helena Swinkels, on programs aimed at homeless people who are dealing with addictions or mental health issues;
• from RainCity Housing, Sean Speer, with an update on the shelter operations and the outcomes for its past and current clients;
• from B.C. Housing, Dominic Flanagan, with an update on Alouette Heights, the Salvation Army Ridge Meadows Ministries shelter and the proposal for clients currently in care at the RainCity shelter, closing June 30.
"We want to make sure that citizens have the opportunity to hear directly from the community stakeholders the work that has been underway over the last year to deal with homelessness, addiction and mental health in our community," said Maple Ridge Mayor Nicole Read.
"This is a challenging and complex issue and we want to be as transparent as possible about the outcomes and future planning as we deal with this issue in the short- and long-term."
An agenda and reports are to be posted on the city website Friday.
The meeting is open to the public and will also be live-streamed via the city website at mapleridge.ca. The meeting is also being recorded and will be posted for review later in the week for those interested citizens who are unable to attend in person.