Old cruise ships are a first step

Dear Editor:

Before older cruise ships are retired for salvage, could they be purchased or leased and repurposed as temporary homeless shelters and substance abuse recovery centres?

The ships could be tied up dockside or moored just offshore and with proper staffing, treat up to a thousand citizens of our less fortunate.

Would our community crime statistics significantly drop if this model could be implemented?

Just to be clear, these cruise ships would not be hotels, they would be treatments centres, accessing the client’s immediate needs, treat them as necessary and provide job training skills in select areas of the ship for a period of up to 12 months.

These job skills could include housekeeping, food preparation, first aid, security, maintenance (electrical and mechanical), stores and logistics, computer skills, tourism and hospitality, accounting, maritime safety, etc.

After a successful recovery and some job skills training, these individuals could move to short-term government funded social housing.

The social housing unit would provide an address for those seeking employment and independence.

If the clients continue to stay healthy and stable, they could stay up to 18 months in supportive housing before a final transition to standing on their own two feet.

Current programs are not working, our provincial and federal leadership need to think about finding new treatment models, supplying clean needles and clean drugs is not the answer, more people than ever are dying on our streets and or ending up in tent encampments.

Homelessness is escalating, creative new solutions are needed.

Steve Hertling Qualicum Beach