Biz cheers homeless plan
Kate Bouey - Nov 17, 2017 - Biz Releases

An outspoken business woman has welcomed a big provincial announcement of new housing for the homeless in Vernon.

“It’s awesome,” said Vicki Eide of Dean’s Tailor Shop on the 2900 block of 33rd Street on Thursday. “It’s going to come with staffing and there will be some rules and we need it.”

Only a few weeks ago, Eide appeared before Vernon city council to complain about the street entrenched people hanging around downtown businesses, shooting up and having sex. She described the downtown as “a drug apocalypse.”

But yesterday, the province announced $11 million would be spent on two projects designed to get people off of the street, including a permanent modular-housing project on 27th Avenue providing 53 supportive housing units and a modular shelter with 45 beds beside Howard House on 43rd Street.

“We could probably use some more,” Eide suggested, but praised the province for allowing John Howard Society staff to run the two facilities.

Meanwhile, Vernon Mayor Akbal Mund admitted the big announcement had yet to fully sink in.

“It’s very exciting,” Mund said. “I think it’s going to be great for the community to have something where we can help the people who need help. This comes with 24/7 care and treatment and I think that’s very important.”

Mund also reminded residents that the city was not paying for the housing.

“The province is funding this. It’s not going to be funded by the city. The city is giving in-kind help.”

Both Eide and Mund hope the facilities, one will be open by March and the other next autumn, will mean an end to the growing tent cities in the downtown that usually appear in the spring.

“It will mitigate the problem. It’ll be a lot less,” said Mund, but he added that some people would always choose to sleep outside.


All Biz Releases Stories