The challenge of homelessness in B.C.sa国际传媒檚 rural areas needs a closer look by the province to avoid a sa国际传媒渙ne-size-fits-allsa国际传媒� approach.

That was the thinking from FVRD Chair Jason Lum at the UBCM Housing Summit last week, after the new $12 billion Homes for People announcement, that will see new regional response teams to quickly help those experiencing homelessness get housing.

With more than a dozen entrenched encampments in just one FVRD electoral area, the problem has been spreading in the Chilliwack River Valley and other rural areas of the Fraser Valley, he said.

sa国际传媒淚n terms of cost, it can be significant especially for the smaller electoral areas,sa国际传媒� said Lum.

Along with the $12-billion to deliver more housing faster, the provincial government also recently unveiled its sa国际传媒楤elonging in BCsa国际传媒� plan to prevent and reduce homelessness by adding 3,900 new supportive-housing units and 240 complex-care spaces in B.C.

sa国际传媒楤elonging in BCsa国际传媒� features new sa国际传媒渕ultidisciplinary regional response teamssa国际传媒� designed to remove encampments and better support the unhoused to move inside with more housing options.

In terms of solutions and what FVRD would like from the province, sa国际传媒渢he most important thing is to make sure itsa国际传媒檚 not a one-size-fits-all solution,sa国际传媒� Lum said.

For years, most of the homeless camp cleanups have been undertaken by volunteers. Last month the province announced $200,000 to cleanup abandoned camps in the Chilliwack River Valley.

Lum said rural communities and regional district electoral areas are simply not equipped to take on homelessness.

sa国际传媒淲e heard a lot about challenges with homelessness in the larger urban areas,sa国际传媒� he said.

sa国际传媒淏ut the discussion that I think falls between the cracks a little bit is the discussion around what happens in the rural areas, the electoral areas.sa国际传媒�

B.C.sa国际传媒檚 new rapid response teams are being modelled on what theysa国际传媒檙e doing on the ground in big urban centres like Victoria and Seattle.

sa国际传媒淲hat Isa国际传媒檇 like to see is a commitment to work with the rural areas,sa国际传媒� Lum added.

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