What do you think are the contributing causes of increasing numbers of homeless people in B.C.? What steps would you take to provide adequate shelter and services to the homeless, and other marginalized citizens? Can government afford to reduce or eliminate homelessness and extreme poverty?
The cost to society of homelessness, poverty, and addiction is massive. From policing and security, to medical costs, to the cost of meeting daily needs, our society is currently paying a lot of money to put a band-aid on a problem that needs more meaningful solutions.
In the long run, the solutions the BC Greens are proposing will be more compassionate and cost-effective than our current methods.
Mental health contributes to many issues with homelessness, and the BC Greens propose an ambitious plan to make mental health a part of public healthcare. Early intervention, education, and funding facilities are all part of this.
Initiatives that create jobs, provide economic security, and build affordable and supported housing will be implemented. We will work with the federal government to establish programs and funding that work towards these goals.
Studies in Canada show that the average costs for a person struggling with homelessness and mental health are over $53k a year- between temporary shelter costs, first responders, emergency and health services, justice system etc.
In comparison providing someone with supportive and transitional housing costs $13,000-$18,000 a year and affordable housing without supports is a mere $5,000-$8,000.
So financially it makes sense, but even more than that it is just the right thing to do. This is why we believe in the housing first strategy and why we have made the largest ever provincial investment in affordable and supportive housing- which has provided over 1,000 new affordable units between Nanaimo and Cowichan.
We have also implemented a poverty reduction plan (under the previous government we were the only province to not have a plan, despite having the second highest poverty in Canada) and we announced a new navigation center shelter model – to which Nanaimo will receive the second one in all of BC.
We need to continue with these investments and building the housing our communities need, because after 16 years of little to no investments, coupled with a housing crisis, we have a lot of catching up to do.
Candidates responses to this question have been added in the order received. Go to the Election Questions list to see questions that have been submitted to the Forum.
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