No matter if you live in a small rural community or a big urban city, North Cowichan’s mayor says everyone is facing the struggles of homelessness and the circumstances that create it.
Council attended a conference in Ottawa where they were able to listen in on how communities across Canada are dealing with the rising concern, as it relates to the ongoing drug crisis.
Douglas says right now both North Cowichan and the City of Duncan are limited in how they can deal with the issue, and that has left them looking at more positive options on how to curb this growing trend.
“We have some role in terms of bylaw enforcement, and with the RCMP there is a role there with enforcement,” he says. “However, if you look at the real solutions to the problem here, whether it’s supportive housing, treatment recovery centers, or a mental health facility, these are well beyond the scope as to what we can provide.
“These fall firmly on the shoulders of the provincial and federal governments.”
Douglas says everyone has the right to treatment, and that is why they’re in discussions with Island Health to help address the increased amount of street disorder happening in the region.
He says they’re looking for options, and so far, talks are moving along very well.
“The meeting was very productive, and we identified a few areas where there could be a lot more collaboration between our respective organizations to get some of these challenges under control,” he says.
One of the recommendations made to help identify ‘hot spots’ is having members of the bylaw travel with RCMP and social workers to work with what Douglas refers to as the unhoused population to discourage encampments from showing up and provide more housing.
“One area where we’re looking to see some new rental units open. This could be below market rates and good for the community,” he says. “In order to build the facility, we’re really trying to discourage encampments.”
According to BC Housing, in 2023 over 11,000 people were identified as experiencing some form of homelessness, with 69 per cent of them being between the ages of 25 and 55 and mostly men.
The report also says 70 per cent of people experiencing homelessness have been without a place of their own for a year or more, with 37 per cent not making enough income to support housing.
