Premier Christy Clark is well aware of the concern about homeless people congregating on Leon Avenue in downtown Âé¶čAV.
Since the street falls within her Westside-Âé¶čAV MLA riding, Clark said she gets lots of feedback from her constituents about the situation on Leon.
âI think generally there is a range of concerns expressed. There is the safety of their community issue which is a legitimate concern on one side, while at the same time others have real compassion for the health of those individuals who find themselves homeless and facing mental health or addiction issues,â Clark said.
In an interview with the Âé¶čAV last week, Clark said her governmentâs model for the last decade has been to provide housing for the homeless.
âWhatever illness an individual is dealing with, you canât get better if you donât have a roof over your head,â Clark said.
âThat has been our approach for a long time and we know it works.â
Clarkâs comments come on the heels of a forum attended by invited local business leaders and social service agency representatives last month to discuss the homeless people problem on Leon.
The forum keynote guest speakers reiterated what Clark is saying, that finding a home for the homeless should be the first priority for homeless people before starting to deal with addiction or mental health issues.
The forum organizers felt those in attendance were widely receptive to getting something done to address Âé¶čAVâs homeless problem, the common sentiment expressed that canât continually be ignored.
Clark offered some statistics about her governmentâs commitment to social services: That $355 million has been allotted over the next five years to pay for social housing projects across the province, and that 3,000 people are supported through housing programs in Âé¶čAV.
Clark said helping Interior communities meet housing needs for both homeless and those on limited or low incomes remains an ongoing challenge her government wants to help address.
âWeâre happy to âšdo it, and itâs something weâve been doing for a long time for communities that need it,â she said.