The slow response from upper levels of government to requests for support to deal with homelessness, addiction, and other social problems is frustrating local leaders.
The Cowichan Valley Leadership group went public earlier this week with its concerns that the crisis is escalating and provincial support is falling short of what’s needed.
Cowichan MP Alistair MacGregor is a member of the leadership group and says its essential the province and Ottawa respond.
MacGregor says these problems are traditionally “associated with larger communities.” However, he says smaller rural communities are experiencing them and lack the “resources in our own tax bases to deal with them effectively.”
MacGregor says it’s necessary for the province and the federal government to “step up.”
MacGregor says there have been some pretty big promises on housing, but it’s difficult to find out where that money will be spent, and the leadership group will also “be training our sights on the federal government.”
In addition to housing, the leadership group is trying to get additional services to deal with addiction and the other problems that are at the root of homelessness.
