Latest news with #supportiveHousing
Globe and Mail
28-05-2025
- Health
- Globe and Mail
B.C. Premier, Opposition Leader spar over solution for Victoria's Pandora Avenue
The leaders of B.C.'s two main political parties are sparring over a solution to the addictions and homelessness crisis in Victoria that was detailed in a Globe and Mail investigation published last weekend. The Globe spent months speaking with Victoria residents, business owners, police officers, local politicians and drug users in an effort to chronicle the impact of the decline of Pandora Avenue, the epicentre of the city's fentanyl crisis. The reporting was part of Poisoned, a continuing series examining the opioid crisis, and its impact on the country. Premier David Eby said Monday that there 'have been improvements on Pandora, thanks to a significant new supportive housing development.' The NDP Leader said that he understands the 'urgency' of addressing the crisis and promised more supportive housing for the B.C. capital. John Rustad, Leader of the Conservative Party of B.C., said the investigation 'laid bare the devastating reality on Pandora, where addiction, death and chaos are spiralling out of control.' He said the NDP's solution – more supportive housing – is the wrong one. The crux of the issue is something B.C. Housing confirmed to The Globe: that residents of all supportive housing buildings in the province are allowed to smoke and inject drugs in their units, something that was not widely understood. 'The Premier said that supportive housing would save lives,' said Mr. Rustad. 'Instead, he's created taxpayer-funded sites where drug use is rampant, crime is routine, and people have no hope for recovery.' Mr. Rustad noted that Victoria police are constantly called to these buildings for standoffs, trafficking and weapons seizures. 'Just last week, they seized a kilo of fentanyl, a loaded handgun and $40,000 in cash from one of the Premier's so-called supportive housing sites, and yet the NDP still claims that this is helping people and moving them toward recovery.' Mr. Rustad called on Premier Eby to replace supportive housing with treatment-focused housing that bans deadly drugs. For her part, Victoria Mayor Marianne Alto called the national attention a 'watershed moment' for the city. Since 2023, the City of Victoria has spent nearly $25-million on homeless-resident supports and repair costs from encampments. She said that municipalities like hers need help to address the crisis. Councillor Marg Gardiner said the investigation brought much needed attention to the issue that Victoria is grappling with. 'It is crucial – both for residents and business owners in our city – that this story to be told beyond the City of Victoria. The provincial government has not assumed the responsibility for housing and health care for these desperate people."
CBC
15-05-2025
- CBC
Mother of man who's body lay in supportive housing for 3 days says little has changed
A recent CBC investigation has revealed that it took 11 days to find a tenant's body in supportive housing in 2024. Diane Chandler died from an overdose of cocaine, methamphetamine and fentanyl in her room at the Foxglove. CBC News has also learned now that Years before that, Cyndie Richard's son Shawn died in a different supportive housing building... and it took three days for staff to find his body.
