Tla’amin Nation is embarking on a complex care housing project to accommodate people who are at the risk of homelessness.
According to a media release from Tla’amin, at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, the urgent need for more safe and affordable housing to address homelessness and those suffering with complex mental health issues became clear.
In 2021, Tla’amin secured six trailers through the provincial reaching home fund to fulfill an immediate need for emergency housing, but it’s not enough. Tla’amin needs to add more housing units of all types – from emergency, transitional, supportive, social rental, to private ownership, according to the release. The complex care housing program targets one of the needs and is a positive step forward to safe and healthy homes for all who need them, the release stated.
Tla’amin has successfully accessed a new stream of funding called complex care housing, a provincial program funded by the Government of BC.
Complex care housing supports individuals with significant mental health, addiction or concurrent challenges, and other functional needs, who are at risk of homelessness, the release stated. More specifically, in Tla’amin, it is for the provision of safe and healthy homes and support services for people with overlapping mental-health and substance-use challenges, and traumatic and acquired brain injury.
“A warm secure place where you can lock your door is key to mental health and well-being,” stated Tla’amin hegus John Hackett. “I welcome the addition of these four units to our current housing stock and believe they will help Tla’amin citizens find much needed safety and stability.”
The complex care housing program offers enhanced health, cultural and social supports tailored to individual needs, including primary care, mental health and addictions care, social and cultural supports, peer programming and assistance with daily living. Tla’amin Health recently hired Laura Brandsma as the Indigenous cultural support worker, specifically funded through involvement in the complex care housing project, to work with Tla’amin family members who desperately need these specialized supports.
“This housing project will offer personalized care to those in our community who need it most,” stated Tla’amin executive councillor and community services housepost Dillon Johnson. “I’m grateful that our community continues to be a national leader in evidence-based programs to help those struggling with substance use and mental health challenges. Through this project, and the recent 24-unit elders and accessible housing complex, we are starting to fill some important housing gaps that our community has been facing for years.”
The qathet region’s complex care housing program was established in 2021 and is a three-way partnership between Vancouver Coastal Health, Tla’amin and Lift Community Services. The current request for proposals is intended to develop four self-contained units to house Tla’amin citizens who are participating in the qathet complex care housing program.
The four units are expected to be substantially complete by March 2025 and will be located in the village of Tishosum. The location will be close to services so the tenants are well supported with health, housing, and social services nearby, the release stated.
For more information about Tla’amin housing or the complex care housing program, email [email protected].
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