MORE INFO NEEDED ON PROVINCE'S HOUSING FOR THE HOMELESS EFFORTS IN OSOYOOS
OSOYOOS TIMES-February 4, 2009
The province's announcement on Jan. 30 that it had acquired Osoyoos's Desert Valley Care facility to house homeless people or people at risk of losing their homes at first seems like a good thing.
Any effort to alleviate the area's affordable housing shortage is welcomed.
But the announcement raised far more serious questions than it answers.
And it's difficult not to think that the province wanted to get this good news out to the people as quickly as possible in the face of the looming provincial election in May rather than cover all its bases when it comes to the information this community needs.
First off, why Osoyoos?
And this isn't a matter of looking a gift-horse in the mouth, but we're a tiny community far away from the movings and shakings of the Lower Mainland and it must be asked why the province would buy a social housing property here as opposed to Victoria which has many more people who are homeless or dealing with mental health issues.
Which brings up the next question:
Where will these people come from to fill the 10 units at the facility?
People involved in our community groups and local government have said that they wonder if the Osoyoos area even has enough people dealing with homelessness or mental health issues to fill the units at Desert Valley.
Which raises an even bigger question:
Will people be sent here to fill these units, people who may not be desirable on the streets of a certain city that may be hosting an international event that will draw the eyes of the world upon it in a little more than a year?
Suppose we do fill it, who will run it?
The province has hinted that community or non-profit groups will be approached to administer the facility here and in other communities where similar properties were purchased.
As of press time, however, few people in this community, including civic leaders, had much information about the province's announcement or how the facility would be operated and finding someone within the B.C. government to provide answers beyond typical bureaucratic jargon was an exercise in futility.
Finally, will this facility be able to handle the kinds of residents the government plans to place within its walls?
Desert Valley was originally a care facility for seniors.
The needs of seniors, however, are different from the needs of residents experiencing mental health problems or drug and alcohol dependency issues.
Since the province has suggested that the facility could be occupied before the end of March, the answers to these questions would be appreciated sooner rather than later.
