BC Housing minister David Eby is warning of a potential homeless encampment in Penticton after city council rejected a request to keep a temporary winter shelter open for an additional year.
Eby addressed local media on a conference call Wednesday (March 3). The minister said he is sa国际传媒減rofoundly disapointed and a bit baffledsa国际传媒� by councilsa国际传媒檚 decision to vote to close the emergency winter shelter at Victory Churchsa国际传媒檚 old 352 Winnipeg Street location.
The shelter is currently at capacity, providing beds for 42 people with more trying to get in.
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Eby said he called Penticton mayor John Vassilaki to find out the logic behind councilsa国际传媒檚 decision this morning but was hung up on.
sa国际传媒淯nfortunately when we connected this morning he hung up on me and told me that we wouldnsa国际传媒檛 be speaking,sa国际传媒� Eby said. sa国际传媒淭his is a very difficult situation and bluntly, in my opinion, Isa国际传媒檓 frightened for the leadership within in Penticton.sa国际传媒�
Eby is concerned closing the shelter April 1 will force 42 people into the streets and ultimately create a homeless encampment similar to what the province is seeing in Vancouver, Victoria and Nanaimo.
The pandemic has exacerbated the homelessness issue across the province.
The minister said he will do everything possible to prevent a homeless encampment from popping up in Penticton; but, if an encampment does become established, BC Housing will step in to monitor it and has 1,000 tents and sleeping bags available.
Speaking to the importance of preventing an encampment, Eby referenced the time and money spent responding to encampments in Vancouver, Victoria and Nanaimo that have led to sa国际传媒渆xplosions, fires, deaths, and other very serious and troubling incidentssa国际传媒� for people living in the encampment and in the nearby areas.
To prevent the Victory Church shelter from closing down, Eby may utilize the provincial governmentsa国际传媒� statutory immunity, which would give them power to exempt themselves from local government rules.
However, because BC Housing does not own the Victory Church shelter, using statutory immunity could be problematic if BC Housing is taken to court by Penticton council or an upset resident.
sa国际传媒淚 want to ensure people in the shelter and people nearby that despite the fact we donsa国际传媒檛 have another site for people to go we are working very hard to identify another site where we can use Paramount C (statutory immunity).
sa国际传媒淚n the interim we may be forced into a situation with an encampment and that is the worst case scenario.sa国际传媒�
Eby struggled to find the words to express his disappointment in Penticton council. He said other cities across the province have been willing to work on establishing housing solutions, especially during the pandemic when support services are at a minimum.
Since taking the job as housing minister in November, 2020, Eby says he has spent more time speaking with Penticton council than any other city that doesnsa国际传媒檛 have an active encampment.
sa国际传媒淲e simply cansa国际传媒檛 have a situation of another encampment in the province thatsa国际传媒檚 deliberately created,sa国际传媒� he said. sa国际传媒淲e cansa国际传媒檛 afford to go backwards in Penticton.sa国际传媒�
Eby also attempted to debunk the view that the majority of homeless people in Penticton have come from out of town. A view that mayor Vassilaki and councillors .
Approximately 80 percent of Pentictonsa国际传媒檚 homeless population have lived in the city for more than five years, Eby said.
sa国际传媒淭his is a Penticton issue and itsa国际传媒檚 one that the province really wants to help Penticton solve.sa国际传媒�
More to come.
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jesse.day@pentictonwesternnews.com
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