Transitional housing facility approved

Prince George city council approved nearly half a million dollars in funding last Monday to prepare a Third Avenue site for a transitional housing facility.

BC Housing plans to install a facility at 397 Third Avenue that would include 44 modular units or dorms (that can fit up to two persons per dorm) to house a maximum of 88 people.

Council approved $468,126 to be funded from the capital expenditure reserve for the project.

The city has been advocating since the spring of 2023 for the province to create a transitional shelter facility at the site near the Lower Patricia encampment also known as Moccasin Flats.

The site would also, however, need a temporary use permit which also needs to be approved by council at a later date.

“I think this is challenging and housing is not under the jurisdiction of the municipality but this is a complex issue that is in our community that needs complex solutions and I think that this is one of those things,” said Coun. Cori Ramsay, when the motion was debated at the special council meeting.

She also asked for city staff to explain the financial impact of the project.

Director of Finance Kris Dalio said the city has a buffer for capital projects, and that this project will be eating into that buffer for general sewer and water expenses.

“So, though the buffer is a little bit less, I still feel it is enough for us to deal with whatever comes our way so I think we can handle this and be alright,” he said.

The work on the site includes compact gravel and site grading, sanitary lift station upgrades and site service connections for water and sewer. The project would not only include the housing units but also washroom and shower facilities. City staff said operational details would be confirmed through the lease agreement, but that daily costs would be covered by BC Housing.

Coun. Kyle Sampson expressed concern regarding the city being “on the hook” for the cost of the site if there are cost overages or if province doesn’t follow through with the project. He requested an amendment to the original motion, that the written confirmation required of B.C. Housing be changed to a legally binding contract.

He cited the province’s lack of follow through on the second phase of the First Avenue supportive housing project as an example for his hesitations.

“This is intended to be a quickly constructed temporary facility that has already been in operation in other communities,” said City Manager Walter Babicz. “So we feel that there’s more certainty here for this model as it’s already been in place.”

When it came to a vote, the amendment to require a legally binding contract instead of a written confirmation passed.

Babicz said BC Housing did not express any concern with the written confirmation and that he did not think the amendment to convert it to a legally binding contract would be alarming to the organization.

“It’s very close to what was intended.” Coun. Tim Bennett noted that this project may be more wise for taxpayer dollars because they will be spending less for fire rescue and bylaw in response to the current encampment.

“I hope that this will provide security, not only for the residents, but to provide better security and support for the businesses and for the residents of Millar Addition,” he said adding that it will be more of a controlled environment with proper services and supports.

“We’re spending a lot of money right now very reactively and if we could find a way to invest, and do something proactive, I think hopefully that will lower overall costs in the long run.”

However, before the decision came to a vote, Sampson said although he wants this for the community it was unfair for a municipality to have to bear the costs of what should be paid for by the province because it is a provincial responsibility.

He said the province is only willing to do these kinds of projects with municipalities that are willing to put up the dollars.

“We’re lucky that we could technically afford this but what if we couldn’t, we’re just not going to get the support and the housing that our community desperately needs, even though it’s not our responsibility? That’s not fair,” he said.

“I support the project. I think we need it. I want it for our community, but I can’t support us putting our money out there and continuing this frankly, disgusting fight among municipalities for the province’s attention to do their job.”

Mayor Simon Yu, however, said he was supportive of the project moving ahead.

“It is a very difficult situation, there is only one taxpayer. Overall, the problem we’re facing is unprecedented and we’re not the only one facing the issue.”

When it came to a vote, the recommendation passed with only Coun. Sampson opposed. Coun. Brian Skakun and Garth Frizzell were absent.

Next steps will include the city obtaining a temporary use permit and lease agreement. The legal contract will need to be finalized and then the city can start the work on installing services on the site.

On principle, Coun. Kyle Sampson is 100 percent correct. The City of Prince George’s contribution to the transitional housing facility slated for the eastern end of Third Avenue should be a big fat zero, not almost half a million dollars. Providing housing for vulnerable residents is the provincial government’s responsibility, not local government.

In reality, however, Sampson is 100 percent wrong. If the City of Prince George is serious about eventually closing the Moccasin Flats encampment, it has to be able to demonstrate in court that there is sufficient supportive housing available locally. That’s the legal reality. The transitional housing project, along with the repurposing of the North Star and the Knight’s Inn (and the city’s contribution to those efforts), will go a long way towards satisfying that requirement.

If Prince George wants meaningful change on the tangled knot of homelessness sooner, rather than later, it must put local tax dollars on the table and work with the province. That’s the political reality. Kelowna and other B.C. municipalities are further along with their transitional housing efforts because they came to the table last year with a “let’s get this done” attitude, instead of a “how is this our problem?” mentality.

The province’s approach is likely not going to change because the provincial government is likely not going to change. That’s the political reality. Unless there is a drastic change in the polls, voters appear willing to give David Eby and the NDP another four years as the majority government this coming October.

Everyone - the City of Prince George, local residents, downtown business owners and operators, and homeless advocates - wanted the provincial government to step up. Victoria is now taking action, but everyone can also agree to varying degrees that the response should have come sooner and what has been offered so far is inadequate and ineffectual. That’s the social reality.

Online anger about the NDP, woke politics, enabling vagrants, drug addiction and mental health being life choices, lack of leadership from local and First Nations governments, police, judges, and Justin Trudeau, along with weeping about the good old days won’t help, either. That’s actual reality.

The problems and the people experiencing them aren’t going away through revenge fantasies about more police, more jails, or other tough love measures.

The sooner principles and other “the way things outta be” beliefs are put aside in favour of facing all of the cold, hard realities for what they are and together as a community and as a society, the better off we’ll all be.