City of Powell River councillors were provided an overview of the proposed supportive housing facility adjacent to qathet General Hospital by agencies involved in working to establish the facility.
At the March 4 committee of the whole meeting, spokespersons from Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH), BC Housing and Lift Community Services addressed councillors, outlining their reasons for establishing the new facility.
City chief administrative officer Lisa Bhopalsingh said the presentation was in response to an invitation to BC Housing and VCH in November 2024 to speak about the complex care housing and for council to receive clarity on service levels provided.
Naomi Brunemeyer, director of regional development with BC Housing, said it was important to discuss that work on the project has been ongoing for some time.
Dr. Moliehi Khaketla said in her role as a specialist physician in public health as a medical health officer with VCH, she has the privilege of providing support for all public health programs within the region.
“Housing is an important determinant of health, and it is foundational to our health and wellbeing,” said Khaketla. “People who are experiencing homelessness generally have higher rates of illness, higher rates of injury, higher rates of death, and being homeless can lead to worsening health problems. Having secure, safe and affordable housing, particularly that which is wrapped around individualized care and support, helps to improve in many different ways the health of people who are experiencing homelessness.
“We are now aware of a growing body of evidence around the public health impact of having this type of support in our communities. Permanent supportive housing significantly reduces homelessness and increases chances of people being housed for a longer period.”
Permanent supportive housing is associated with improvement in specific health outcomes, said Khaketla. There is additional benefit when case management is incorporated on site with permanent supportive housing, she added.
“Permanent supportive housing is able to reduce emergency room visits as well as hospitalization,” said Khaketla. “From a public health perspective, we have robust and substantial evidence that shows the positive public health benefits from permanent supportive housing.”
Lift executive director Kim Markel said there is an obvious need in the community for additional supportive housing with a permanent shelter and support services.
“This was demonstrated in 2023 when Lift supported the community’s first point in time homelessness count, in which 126 individuals were identified as experiencing homelessness,” said Markel. She added that the 2025 count will be taking place on March 7.
“We also see the need played out in the people who are accessing our temporary emergency shelter,” said Markel. “In the last year, more than 120 unique individuals accessed that shelter, and so far this year, we have sheltered 56 unique individuals experiencing homelessness.”
Markel said the current supportive housing has 44 tenants, all of whom resided in the community prior to moving into the facility. She said there is a low vacancy and turnover rate within the building, so people in qathet wait extended periods of time to access supportive housing units, sometimes for years.
Brunemeyer said BC Housing had been working with the city during the pandemic to help people who were unable to shelter.
“We wanted to make sure we protected them by bringing them indoors during the pandemic,” said Brunemeyer. “We have a responsibility to this community and to those folks to rehouse them.”
Brunemeyer said an opportunity arose to build some new infrastructure. At the same time, the shelter operated by Lift needed a permanent home. She said the conversation went beyond bringing unhoused people indoors and giving them a permanent supportive housing facility. It involved adding on complex care housing and adding a permanent shelter for the community.
“What we are committed to doing at BC Housing is to fund all the development and construction costs, as well as provide ongoing operational funding to the shelter, and to the supportive housing,” said Brunemeyer. “City of Powell River is currently the owner of the land and that would be your provision for a minimum time commitment.
“Tla’amin Nation is a direct partner in the complex care. Tla’amin will have a relationship with the proposed complex care housing.”
Brunemeyer said VCH is a significant funder, and Lift is the chosen operator.
“We have the opportunity to provide up to 43 supportive housing units,” said Brunemeyer. “Those are affordable studio apartments. They are self-contained. The support services that will be offered to those tenants will be provided by Lift.
“Some will have the added complex care housing services that are funded by VCH, in partnership with Tla’amin Nation. We are adding capacity to this community and we are adding a new service delivery model through the complex care at this location.”
At the November 7, 2024, city council meeting, councillors gave three readings to two bylaws that would result in the permanent closure and removal of the highway dedication on the land on which the supportive housing complex is proposed to be located, and also to amend the city’s zoning bylaw for construction of the facility. The bylaws await adoption.
Mayor Ron Woznow and councillor Jim Palm both voted against the three readings of the bylaws.
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