The City of Coquitlam reports growing concerns about a supportive housing facility and homeless shelter.
The facility at 3030 Gordon Ave., operated by RainCity Housing, is the only permanent facility in the Tri-Cities region that serves the homeless.
The project, which started in 2015, is putting a significant strain on the city’s resources. according to the staff report Monday before the city council meeting.
“While 3030 Gordon is recognized as an important resource in the community, Council has long-standing concerns about the operation of the program and its impact on the surrounding community,” the report said.
Last year alone, the facility and a tent camp that has grown around it were responsible for 218 calls to fire departments and about 500 calls to police for incidents including overdoses, fires and disturbances.
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Neighborhood business owners like Wes Banh, who runs a family auto shop, said the spillover effects were noticeable.
“Burglaries at the store,” he said. “I’ve had to deal with feces a lot, a lot.”
“I don’t know the solution to it, but at least make it seem like you want to do something,” he added.
The city has outlined a number of key priorities it wants the provincial government to address, including an increase in funding for services to support the poverty-stricken and a new framework and funding for improved shelter and housing services.
Coquitlam’s general manager of planning and development is recommending that the mayor write to BC Housing and the provincial and federal ministers to outline the city’s concerns and costs associated with the 3030 facility.
It also recommends the mayor press BC Housing for a progress report on the implementation of recommendations in a recent operational review of the 3030 facility.
Monday’s report notes that the Tri-Cities are struggling with an increase in street homelessness.
According to Metro Vancouver’s 2023 homeless count, the community saw an 86 per cent increase in the number of homeless people in 2020, almost triple the rate elsewhere in the region.
Macrthy Whyze, who distributes supplies to the homeless in the Tri-Cities, said he has seen the growth firsthand.
“People need help. The help is not there yet. And as a result, we get people having to sleep outside,” he said.
“These are local people who have often been on waiting lists for a long time. And the line and time just seem to keep growing.”
The report to council recommends that the city press the province for new commitments on homelessness, mental health and substance use, and that the city call for a sub-regional approach to new supportive housing and services.
Global News is seeking comment from the City of Coquitlam and Mayor Richard Stewart.
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