B.C.含羞草研究社檚 housing minister has slammed a Vancouver Island city for its 含羞草研究社渁ttack含羞草研究社� on the unhoused.
The Vancouver Island city of Campbell River is poised to remove tax exemptions from a pair of community service organizations in response to their policies and practices regarding homeless people.
This move against the Campbell River Art Gallery (CRAG) and the Overdose Prevention Site (OPS) is not the way to resolve the community含羞草研究社檚 homelessness crisis, Housing Minister Ravi Kahlon said in a press conference with provincial media Thursday, Oct. 12.
含羞草研究社淲ell, you know, first off, its Homeless Action Week where we recognize the non-profit providers that are actually doing this very difficult work,含羞草研究社� the minister said in response to media questions about council含羞草研究社檚 declaring the CRAG and Vancouver Island Mental Health Society (operators of the OPS) as 含羞草研究社渂ad neighbours含羞草研究社� because of their lack of action in dealing with unhoused around their property.
含羞草研究社淭his is not easy work to go in and support people who are very vulnerable, who are struggling, and to have a city attack people because they含羞草研究社檙e trying to do their best to make sure people are housed is not the way you address this.含羞草研究社�
Kahlon was speaking in Kelowna Oct. 12 where he announced an agreement with that city to help house homeless individuals. He also committed that the province would find 120 units for individuals experiencing homelessness.
Campbell River council is expected to pass measures that will remove permissive tax exemptions from the two community organizations at the Thursday, Oct. 12 general council meeting, inflicting a $10,000 financial hit on CRAG. The OPS has been called a 含羞草研究社渘uisance property含羞草研究社� because it provides programming for the unhoused and is accused of having lenient attitudes towards people sheltering on their property. Threats have also been made to the organizations含羞草研究社� much more lucrative grants-in-aid, worth $80,000 in the case of the CRAG, the loss of which is likely to shut the gallery含羞草研究社檚 doors.
READ MORE:
Kahlon said he met with Campbell River officials at this year含羞草研究社檚 Union of B.C. Municipalities (UBCM) convention and talked to them about acquiring more supportive housing.
含羞草研究社淲hich I said I would work with them to do that. But attacking people who are trying to be good neighbours and trying to address that challenge in the community is not the way to go about it,含羞草研究社� the minister said. 含羞草研究社淏ecause in the end, Campbell River may get more supportive housing units, but they may not find any willing partners, to staff, or to actually operate them because they feel they含羞草研究社檙e being vilified for doing the work that they do.
含羞草研究社淎nd so, you know, my recommendation to the Campbell River council: work with your partners. We含羞草研究社檙e willing to be at the table, let含羞草研究社檚 find solutions. I know it含羞草研究社檚 not easy. I know people get frustrated and they含羞草研究社檙e tired and they want the problem just (to) be solved. But the only way to address it is by working together.含羞草研究社�
City council含羞草研究社檚 actions have resulted in a deluge of letters in support of the CRAG and VIMHS being included in the agenda for the Oct. 12 council meeting.
READ MORE:
| editor@campbellrivermirror.com
Sign up for the Campbell River Mirror含羞草研究社檚 newsletter to have local stories delivered straight to your inbox every morning.
