The Burnaby Homeless Task Force is urging the City of Burnaby to consider a combination of options for local people sleeping outdoors.
The task force met with the city’s planning and development committee to pitch different housing models on Tuesday night.
“The meeting went very well,” said Wanda Mulholland, spokesperson for the task force. “The presentation was well-received, and the task force continues to be committed to working with the city to create a made-for-Burnaby housing solution. We will be waiting to hear back from the city on next steps on that.”
Burnaby is one of a few Lower Mainland municipalities that does not have a year-round homeless shelter.
In a previous interview with the NOW, Mayor Derek Corrigan said he doesn’t want a homeless shelter in Burnaby, but he would welcome a transitional housing facility with proper supports for mental health and addictions if the province was willing to fund it, and Housing Minister Rich Coleman said there’s “money on the table” for a shelter in Burnaby.
Coleman’s comments are what prompted Mulholland’s presentation, as she’s hoping to get all levels of government working together on a solution.
On Tuesday, she talked about the North Shore Housing Centre as just one example. The facility offers a mix of transitional housing units, short-term housing beds and sleeping mats as part of the extreme weather program when the weather is so cold or wet that people’s lives are at risk.
Coun. Sav Dhaliwal, who sits on the planning and development committee, said they asked staff to study the issue and report back. He said the committee thought Mulholland’s presentation was interesting and they are open to the idea of a mix of services for homeless people that lead to more stable housing.
“We’d like to know more about that,” he said. “We’re still on the same page as Mayor Corrigan. We’re not just interested in an overnight shelter; it just doesn’t work.”
“But we’re not going to talk about just shelters,” he added. “If Coleman is talking about money for housing that actually leads to housing, we want to talk about that.”
