Lyonel Doherty
Aberdeen Publishing
A town councillor in Oliver finds it very unsettling that there are so many homeless youth in the community.
Welcome to reality, says the Desert Sun Counselling and Resource Centre.
Municipal councillor Aimee Grice recently commented on the Housing Needs Report that the Town of Oliver commissioned. It estimates there are 50 youth in Oliver who are temporarily housed or staying with friends, in what is termed “couch surfing.”
The report also indicates there are 32 to 40 people who are homeless or living in trailers or vehicles. The report says many of the people do not have access to adequate heating in wintertime.
While these figures are based on information from Desert Sun, executive director Marieze Tarr clarified the numbers.
She said the 50 homeless youth figure represents the adult population too, noting she would be surprised if there are truly 50 homeless kids in Oliver.
Grice initially stated these numbers were “mind-boggling” and a bit shocking to behold, noting the homeless are not that visible in Oliver.
But Tarr said they are out there.
“Information that we hear and see from our counsellors, we know that there are definitely some youth couch surfing and living at other people’s houses. We even know some who are living outside.”
Tarr said most of these kids choose to leave home due to difficult relationships with their parents. In some cases, the parents split up and one of them gets involved with another partner, which leads to friction between the new partner and the youth.
Tarr said being homeless immediately puts these children at risk because they’ve lost those important relationships and don’t feel safe. Furthermore, they are not as successful academically as children who have a secure base at home.
“To me, that is a huge concern,” said the former school board chair.
Tarr said they have looked at the logistics of providing beds for these youth, but it is a huge undertaking.
“It is certainly something that Desert Sun is interested in; our staff (and myself) are always passionate about that.”
Desert Sun also works with inmates at the Okanagan Correctional Centre to help them make a successful transition into society.
“The biggest barrier they face too is housing. Shelter is huge. I don’t think we realize how lucky we are that all of us have a safe place to go to at the end of the day.”
Tarr said she can only imagine what it would feel like if you don’t . . . worrying about where you are going to sleep at night and how you are going to be safe.
“We have clients in that exact position.”
The executive director said there is only one bed available (for a female) in this area, and that’s in Penticton. Tarr agreed that she finds this hard to believe in this day and age.
She cited a recent example of a couple of youth who had no place to sleep in Oliver. This is why an emergency shelter is on Desert Sun’s radar regardless of the hoops you have to jump through to establish one.
Tarr said some of the homeless youth are high-functioning individuals who have a job and try to go to school.
But for others, life is more of a struggle and they fall prey to addiction and other vices.
“I think we all live this kind of beautiful life in our town and we are often blindsided by what actually goes on in our town.”
But housing is not just a problem for youth, it’s a problem for all ages, including the elderly, Tarr pointed out.
She said there might be emergency funding for a senior to spend a couple of nights in a hotel, but after that he or she has nowhere to go.
“Shelter is a huge concern in our community, and I see that in our line of work, I would say, at least once a month.”
Osoyoos Mayor Sue McKortoff said council looked at this issue recently.
“We do know of a couple of homeless people in Osoyoos. One chooses to live outside but has lots of support from community members and businesses.”
McKortoff said she doesn’t know of any youth couch surfing in Osoyoos, “although there may be some.”
Tarr said the public can support youth by being more open and accepting when there is a real need for emergency shelters in the community. One of the biggest barriers is the NIMBY (not-in-my-backyard) syndrome.
“We have to find a way in our hearts to accommodate vulnerable people and support them as best we can.”
She noted if we provide these people with support, that often prevents them from slipping into the criminal world and being incarcerated.
Tarr said that’s what she has seen in some OCC inmates who didn’t have a good family life and started using drugs and living on the street.
“If we can break that (vicious) cycle early on by providing people with support, they can feel like they belong to the community, and I think we will actually stop people from entering the criminal world.”
As far as a youth shelter is concerned, Tarr said it is definitely needed in the Oliver/Osoyoos area.
“No doubt it would be full.”
She suspects they need approximately 15 beds to accommodate homeless youth here. But the challenge is finding the funding and the location.
Marielle Tounsi, public affairs officer for the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing, said they are encouraged to hear that Oliver is interested in taking steps to support people at risk of homelessness.
She noted that BC Housing can work with local governments and community groups to identify potential sites for emergency shelters. Once a site is approved, BC Housing provides operating funding. As of yet, BC Housing has not been approached about this in Oliver, Tounsi said.
She said the ministry has partnered with the Town on a new affordable housing project behind Oliver Place Mall. Construction is expected to begin this spring.
In the meantime, people experiencing homelessness in the South Okanagan can access Compass House in Penticton, Tounsi said. This facility is a 30-bed shelter that is staffed around the clock and provides people with three meals a day.
“We recognize that shelter spaces are not a long-term solution and we know there is a need for more supportive housing throughout the region,” Tounsi said.
She stated that no youth in B.C. should ever be without accommodation. Anyone who believes that a young person is in danger or doesn’t have a safe place to stay has a duty to report those concerns to the Ministry of Children and Family Development, Tounsi said.
