Richmond city council chambers were full to the brim Monday afternoon as council considered whether they should more aggressively tackle the homelessness issue in the city.
In the end, the vote was unanimous to ask city staff to come back in 45 days with a plan of action to deal with the immediate crisis.
Coun. Kash Heed put forward a motion asking staff to recommend a process to “immediately implement action plans to mitigate the homeless crisis.”
He makes a distinction between homelessness – which a 2019-2029 strategy tackles with items such as supportive housing and drop-in centre – and the homeless, people who are currently living without adequate shelter.
De Whalen, president of the Richmond Poverty Reduction Coalition (RPRC) noted the 2019-2029 strategy has the goal of making homelessness in Richmond “rare, brief and non-recurring” by 2029.
“You have less than six years, and this motion… may be bold enough to achieve the goals that you’ve set for yourself,” she told city council.
Coun. Laura Gillanders noted that without a detox facility and a continuum of care for stabilization and housing after treatment, the chronically homeless won’t get better. She added people can call a number, get a detox bed in Vancouver after a month, and then five days later they’re back on the street.
“I know from personal experience helping people there are huge gaps in the system that aren’t being addressed,” Gillanders said.
Other councillors commented on the motion saying there’s a need for an outreach worker and to have someone with “lived experience” on the city’s homelessness table.
Coun. Michael Wolfe noted the strategic plan calls for someone with lived experience to be at the table, “when appropriate.”
“I think it’s appropriate,” he added.
Currently, the homelessness table includes government agencies and service providers.
The general manager of planning and development, Joe Erceg, told city council, if they wanted to change the composition of this table, they could ask city staff to review it.
Mayor Malcolm Brodie asked that the request include consulting with the ministers of mental health/addictions, housing and poverty reduction.
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