Chilliwack council calls for equal approach to shelter beds across B.C.

Chilliwack assembly is putting immoderate unit connected the state to make shelter beds successful an “equitable manner” betwixt each B.C. communities.

Despite section shelters being astatine afloat capacity, Chilliwack’s politician says radical proceed to beryllium sent to the assemblage to question help.

“I request to support my work providers. They’re overwhelmed. They’re overworked, with immoderate hospitals to the westbound of america sending folks retired present that person analyzable attraction needs,” said Chilliwack Mayor Ken Popove.

“We’re not acceptable up to instrumentality attraction of these folks. They should beryllium a successful their ain community, being looked aft oregon successful their ain section hospitals… Chilliwack is full. We are afloat to the brim. We cannot judge immoderate much folks here.”

The Ministry of Health declined to remark and directed our questions to Fraser Health.

According to the section wellness authority, patients person the last accidental connected wherever they determine to spell erstwhile they are steadfast capable to permission immoderate hospital.

“In situations wherever a idiosyncratic does not person a location oregon their accustomed enactment web cannot supply housing, we enactment with the discharged diligent to reply questions and supply accusation astir due resources based connected their situation,” wrote Fraser Health successful connection to Global News.

“Discharging a diligent to a assemblage structure lone occurs erstwhile the patient’s circumstantial lodging needs tin beryllium met, due supports are successful place, the diligent is medically unchangeable and some structure unit and the diligent person agreed to the modulation plan.”

In a unit memo, assembly members learned that Chilliwack presently has the highest fig of structure beds per capita retired of each Lower Mainland Cities.

According to Metro Vancouver’s 2023 Housing Data Book, Chilliwack has 2.69 structure beds per 1,000 population.

While numbers scope from zero to 1.61 beds per 1,000 colonisation successful different Lower Mainland communities, with the objection of Vancouver.

“The numbers were a surprise. The percent numbers were a surprise,” said Popove.

“As a assembly we’re truly amazed that astatine the magnitude of enactment that we’ve done, we person carried a large load retired present successful Chilliwack. We’ve done a bully job, but astatine this constituent were afloat again. We’re full. We can’t instrumentality immoderate much and we conscionable request different communities to measurement up to the plate.”

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But according to the province, different communities person stepped up to the plate.

“I’m sympathetic to immoderate assemblage that brings successful lodging for susceptible radical erstwhile they don’t spot others doing it,” said B.C.’s Housing Minister Ravi Kahlon.

“In this case, Abbotsford is stepping up. We’ve got Surrey stepping up, and if different communities measurement up, that volition marque our jobs easier. We person wealth available. We conscionable request much partners to hold to person lodging again.”

Chilliwack assembly has reached retired to the provincial authorities and section wellness authorization to stock their concerns, arsenic good arsenic to proceed to advocator for expanded entree to detox beds, sobering beds, and stabilizing beds successful communities crossed B.C.