While some shopkeepers are concerned about crime in Kelownasa国际传媒檚 downtown, one store owner says shesa国际传媒檚 found little to complain about.

Linda Smith has owned and operated The Water Garden Boutique on Ellis Street for the last 20 years. During that time period, shesa国际传媒檚 had very little problems with crime and wants to address the fear around the homeless in the downtown area.

sa国际传媒淭he area around us has grown up in such an amazing way; we have restaurants, we have fun bars, we have a lot more shopping and along with that there has definitely been a (change). There are more homeless people, and I think theresa国际传媒檚 a lot of fear thatsa国际传媒檚 just unfounded,sa国际传媒� Smith said.

Smith said that shesa国际传媒檚 had little issues with the citysa国际传媒檚 homeless population and pointed out that there have been times where shesa国际传媒檚 been extended a helping hand.

RELATED: West Kelowna homeless out in the cold after shelter runs at max capacity

sa国际传媒淚 was out at the dumpster and I had my hands full and it was near an alley and Isa国际传媒檓 not afraid to go out there at all, and the guy said sa国际传媒榣et me help you with that,sa国际传媒� and opened the lid for me,sa国际传媒� she said. sa国际传媒淭heysa国际传媒檙e just people and theresa国际传媒檚 so much fear and I donsa国际传媒檛 think itsa国际传媒檚 necessarily appropriate.sa国际传媒�

Smithsa国际传媒檚 shop was broken into eight years ago, but shesa国际传媒檚 had little issues otherwise.

sa国际传媒淚sa国际传媒檝e never been threatened, my staff and I work alone here 90 per cent of the time and (wesa国际传媒檝e been) fine,sa国际传媒� she said.

Shesa国际传媒檚 in favour of Kelownasa国际传媒檚 supportive housing project.

sa国际传媒淭heresa国际传媒檚 a lot of people that need housing, and the first thing we can do to help them is put a roof over their head,sa国际传媒� she said. sa国际传媒淚 mean itsa国际传媒檚 where wesa国际传媒檙e at in our society, we cansa国际传媒檛 just push it under the rug and say sa国际传媒檔ot in my backyard.sa国际传媒檚a国际传媒�

sa国际传媒淔or people to be afraid to come to downtown is going to make matters worse.sa国际传媒�

Over the past seven months, the city has been collaborating with BC Housing and non-profits in the community to house Kelownasa国际传媒檚 homeless as part of its Journey Home Housing initiative.

Recently, a new supportive housing project, Heath House, opened on Harvey Avenue North near Leathhead Road which houses 50 formerly homeless people. It is operated by the Canadian Mental Health Association.

READ MORE: Kelownasa国际传媒檚 newest supportive housing project opens

Hearthstone, another housing project located on Commerce Avenue which opened in October, and Heath House are both BC Housing projects.

Another housing initiative, approved by council in January for Agassiz Road, was met with controversy as some residents in the area were concerned about drug use. The project will provide 52 units for homeless people.

In July, Vancouver Career College cut its courses and moved from its location on Pandosy Avenue in January, citing the homeless shelter across the street was causing concern for its studentssa国际传媒� safety.

However, Lance Kayfish, director of community safety with the City of Kelowna, said work needs to be done to address the stigma around homelessness.

Housing first projects have an advantage over shelters, as they allow individuals to have their own space, which gives them a sense of security and allows them to take pride in something, he said.

Itsa国际传媒檚 often difficult for people to better themselves in a shelter setting when theysa国际传媒檙e concerned about day-to-day activities while battling mental health issues, personal issues or other challenges, Kayfish said.

sa国际传媒淗ow does a person who is dealing with opioid addiction that wants to overcome that, how do they start to rise to that challenge when they donsa国际传媒檛 even know when they want to brush their teeth in the morning?sa国际传媒� he said.

In November, a report was released by retired RCMP Supt. Bill McKinnon, who was asked to look at ways the city could address downtown crime.

The report outlined the Journey Home Housing strategy, as well as other sa国际传媒渜uick fixessa国际传媒� such as more sidewalk cleaning, more garage bins downtown, portable toilets and reviewing the citysa国际传媒檚 needle pick-up program.

Repeating a line he used in the past, the former 40-year police officer said the city will not sa国际传媒渁rrest its way out of the problem.sa国际传媒�

Kayfish said with the number of shelter beds concentrated in the downtown core, there have been unintended consequences.

RELATED: Nearly 8,000 homeless in B.C., first province-wide count reveals

He said they also havensa国际传媒檛 seen a spike in crime around the Commerce Avenue housing complex, which has 46 units.

The aim of the Journey Home initiative is to have supportive housing units throughout the city, Kayfish said.

sa国际传媒淭hings arensa国际传媒檛 perfect, part of the work that needs to be done is building understanding and addressing stigma because somebody is homeless and looks like theysa国际传媒檙e homeless doesnsa国际传媒檛 mean theysa国际传媒檙e threatening,sa国际传媒� he said.

There are a number of contributing factors that lead to homelessness in the city, which he pointed out is not a Kelowna-centric concern.

carli.berry@kelownacapnews.com
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