The problem of homelessness needs to be addressed as a community, Squamish Helping Hands director Maureen Mackell says.
A recent string of deaths in Squamish highlights the importance of the topic, she told District of Squamish council at their Committee of the Whole meeting on Tuesday (April 1).
“The people who died recently were homeless or experiencing barriers,” she said.
That’s where the municipality’s Affordable Housing Framework for Squamish fits in, social planning consultant Margaret Forbes told council. The policy recommends the district create an Affordable Housing Advisory Working Group, which focuses on coordinating initiatives to fill in the gaps for various forms of housing stages. The group would include a municipal staff liaison to play a supporting role.
District staff recommended the group be backed by $5,000. That covers staff time, district planner Elaine Naisby said. Municipal staff also recommended the working group receive ongoing funding.
The need for such a group came through loud and clear, said Forbes, who was contracted in 2012 to draw up the policy. Having hosted community census meetings with 20 stakeholders, all agreed the lack of formal coordination is the community’s largest barrier to tackling housing issues, she said.
“It was really telling,” Forbes said.
Coun. Ted Prior questioned whether the district has the resources to create such a group. The planning department has a long list of projects and is down an employee, he said.
The district needs to come up with a solution that doesn’t eat into its 2014 budget, Coun. Patricia Heintzman said. If finding the $5,000 isn’t the difficulty, it might be making sure district staff have the time, she noted. Officials need to get on top of housing challenges before they become a bigger issue in the community, she said.
“It’s emerging again and I would rather get ahead than simply react,” Heintzman said.
The working group shouldn’t be a select committee, but rather one that is led by the stakeholders themselves, similar to the district’s branding committee, Mayor Rob Kirkham said.
Council unanimously voted in favour of municipal staff’s recommendation, leaving decisions on the type of liaison and funding to a future council talks.
