Homelessness in the Comox Valley is reaching a tipping point.
Business owners are rightfully upset.
Residents are frightened, claiming the downtown core is no longer safe for them and their families.
Violence towards city projects, such as the extensive damage done to the Urbaloo, suggests the homeless themselves are angry.
So what can be done?
It鈥檚 time for the city to do something substantial.
The constant deflection by politicians, such as 鈥溾�� this is a provincial problem鈥︹�� or 鈥溾�e can鈥檛 do it on our own鈥︹�� or 鈥溾�� it will take all three levels of government鈥︹�� isn鈥檛 flying anymore.
Every time we call a mayor, MLA, or MP, we always hear the same thing.
鈥淲e need patience. We need empathy. It鈥檚 not a simple solution.鈥�
We鈥檝e been hearing these same sound bites for years - all talk, no action. The time for lip service has passed.
Well, the provincial government has just stepped forward, with a $1 billion fund, distributed to municipalities throughout British Columbia last month.
Courtenay received a whopping $7.65 million from that fund. This is, in essence, free money for the city.
Incidentally, Comox and Cumberland also received their share of the funds; $4.693 million, and $2.7 million, respectively, but their homelessness problem is nowhere near as dire as what it is in Courtenay.
Courtenay Mayor Bob Wells explained the reason for that, in an interview last week.
鈥淎ll the services for folks who are suffering from a whole host of issues are concentrated in downtown Courtenay, so you can go to Comox, or Cumberland, where there really aren鈥檛 the same level of services - or really, any services, compared to downtown Courtenay - and you are going to see a lot less (visible homelessness),鈥� he said.
That makes sense.
As does using this unexpected cash infusion to get the ball rolling on some substantial, sustainable solutions to Courtenay鈥檚 homelessness problem.
How far could $7.655 million go toward alleviating, or eradicating, homelessness in the Comox Valley?
When the question was put to Wells, he said he was unsure of the restrictions on how the money could be spent.
Great news, Mayor Wells!
I emailed the Ministry of Municipal Affairs (the ministry that distributed the funds) to ask whether the money could be used for supportive housing.
Here is the response I received:
鈥淕rants from the Growing Communities Fund may be used to directly construct affordable housing when that housing is owned by a local government or a wholly local government-owned subsidiary like a housing corporation. Grants may also be used to reduce the development finance costs that a developer of affordable housing not owned by a local government may need to pay. These may include development cost charges or subdivision servicing charges payable or similar costs.鈥�
I interpret this as an apparent green light from the provincial government to use the funds to house the homeless.
Sure, the funds could be used to pay down some debt, but keep in mind, that鈥檚 what city budgets are for. This money was not included in any budget, because it was completely unexpected.
So let鈥檚 put it to a meaningful cause - not to pay any outstanding costs on the 5th Street Bridge. Not for another feasibility study on a 6th Street Bridge. Not for more bike lanes. Those should all be addressed in the budget, which would not include these funds.
If my interpretation of the Growing Communities Fund uses is correct, the city now has the ways, means and money available to do something substantial about homelessness in the Comox Valley.
Is there the will?
Terry Farrell is the editor of the Comox Valley Record
