With B.C. Housing and the city of Kelowna recently announcing the building of 120 new ‘tiny homes’ over the coming months to support people who are unhoused and sheltering in encampments, a Vernon councillor is speaking up on the dangerous precedent it is setting.
Coun. Teresa Durning believes that the new houses create “red flags,” in terms of offering long-term solutions to individuals experiencing homelessness.
“I do think that is not the direction we go here in Vernon,” she said. “Instead of creating an infrastructure for people with addiction and mental illness, we are creating tiny houses for them as a band-aid solution.”
READ MORE: Protesters make presence known during homeless housing announcement at Kelowna City Hall
Durning explained the need to have longer-term plans in place, and wrap-around care to support long-term recovery for those addicted to drugs and struggling to get jobs.
“Significant investment in wrap around care for those individuals is the answer.”
Vernon had 30 drug overdoses in August and currently has approximately 279 individuals experiencing homelessness, according to the latest count. At the recent 10th annual Vernon Homeless Memorial on Friday, Oct. 13, Coun. Kelly Fehr decried the lack of progress in finding solutions for housing.
“I’m tired of coming here and seeing people pass away,” Fehr explained. “I’m tired of seeing people’s tears. We must work and heal as a community to be relentless advocates for the marginalized in our community. Our voices must be heard.”
Recent news on the closing of another walk-in clinic now leaves just the Vernon Jubilee Hospital and the Vernon Urgent and Primary Care clinic as the only options in the city to reach crucial help and services.
“I see the health care and services walls closing in,” Durning explained. “We need all the things that statistically lead to long-term wellness as we know that recovery is a long-term process for people.”
READ MORE: Vernon’s last walk-in doctor clinic closing
As for what the city can do to start breaking ground on solutions, Durning’s hands are tied for the most part.
“For municipal council, healthcare is out of our portfolio,” she said. ” It’s a provincial function but we are highly impacted and we always try to encourage our province to provide funding for wraparound care, even federally to provide criteria and measurable outcomes for those people.”
Advocacy, via writing a letter, and phoning one’s provincial leader is a key step in the right direction, according to Durning.
“Advocacy for more than just a roof over one’s head. We should be asking for more than a tiny house without facilities. We need wrap-around care.”
The Morning Star has reached out to MLA Harwinder Sandhu.
READ MORE: More tiny homes could be coming soon to B.C.’s Interior
