qathet Regional District’s (qRD) committee of the whole is supportive of a homelessness task force to be spearheaded by Lift Community Services.
At the December 20 committee of the whole meeting, directors reviewed correspondence from Lift to convene a joint force.
Committee chair Sandy McCormick said in considering the correspondence, it is frustrating not to have a social planning service for City of Powell River, qRD and Tla’amin Nation.
“This is exactly the kind of thing our social planner would have dealt with,” said McCormick. “In the absence of that position, I would be happy to entertain suggestions as to where we go from here.”
City director George Doubt said Lift has been under considerable pressure from the public, focused on two different things. First is supportive housing, and more recently, the Community Resource Centre extreme weather response centre.
“They are in different places but in the same neighbourhood,” said Doubt. “The frustrations with people in town takes all their energy to get satisfaction with street crime, disorder, and all that stuff they see as negative in the community.
“Lift has a neighbourhood committee that deals with the supportive housing part of it, which I’m part of. Everyone on that committee says since COVID-19, Lift has been putting more things in place and providing more services. Things around supportive housing have gotten better.”
Doubt said the community wants to get together and deal with the issue of homelessness, which is what Lift is trying to do.
“I don’t think it’s going to be a small job to solve homelessness in Powell River, but it’s a worthy attempt,” said Doubt. “If the [regional] board wants to appoint someone to be on that committee, they better be ready to do a lot of work.”
Electoral Area E director Andrew Fall said if there was a director willing to be part of the task force, if it existed, it would be appropriate to respond and say qRD would like to join.
“It’s important and essential that we respond,” said Fall. “One option would be to write back and say we would like to join the task force.”
Alternate city director Trina Isakson said she did not believe the city had received the correspondence. She said it’s important to respond. She added that Doubt had stated that so much community ire had been directed at Lift, and that the task force was an attempt at a solution.
Electoral Area B director Mark Gisborne said formation of the committee shouldn’t be Lift’s sole responsibility. He said Lift is the magnet, getting all the flak. He said Lift is not creating the problems, but it is the only organization on the front line.
“Homelessness occurs all over our community,” said Gisborne. “If we want to have a functional task force, it should be region-wide.”
Fall made a motion that the committee recommend that the board write correspondence to Lift indicating the board would be willing to appoint someone to a homelessness task force.
Gisborne proposed an amendment that Tla’amin and the city be copied. The amendment carried unanimously.
The committee then carried the motion to write correspondence to Lift indicating the board would be willing to appoint someone to a homelessness task force, with copies being sent to the city and Tla’amin.
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