City to partner with local groups in Homelessness housing initiative

Councillor Thorkelson delivered
a Housing overview to Council
on Monday evening

Housing once again was a working theme for Council on Monday night, as Councillor Joy Thorkeson outlined some background for City Council in regard to a new initiative to provide for supportive housing.

Providing some details when it comes to potential project for the North Coast  that will be directed towards people who are homeless, or in danger of being homeless.

The discussion on the proposal began with a short overview from Mayor Lee Brain, who offered up some of the particulars of the project which would see the City of Prince Rupert partnering with a range of local housing service groups in the community.

The new initiative will become part of the process that is a continuation of the efforts for the City's recently formed Housing Committees.

Following his introduction of the theme, the Mayor then turned to Councillor Thorkelson to provide a short overview of the proposal.

She observed that Prince Rupert had been targeted by the Provincial Government through the Aboriginal Homelessness Group, advising that there was some money available to come up with an innovative design for a community project regarding housing.

The main focus of that project as Councillor Thorkelson outlined it, is to be to directed for supportive housing for people who are homeless or in danger of being homeless and only have need for one room accommodation. 

That is a supply of housing that the local housing agency Makola, which provides for housing in the community does not have a large listing for, making for few options in the community available for that particular need.

Also of interest on the theme of Council's concerns over the current housing situation, Councillor Thorkelson relayed to council that one of the messages from the Government when it comes to the new initiative, is that BC Housing has to be brought into the discussion.

With Ms. Thorkelson noting for Council how in recent discussions with the housing agency the city had learned that BC Housing doesn't believe that there is a housing crisis in the community, or that there is a need for more housing in Prince Rupert.

Towards delivering the city's views on the topic the City will form a small committee. Which along with a number of the other community services and societies in the city, will look for ways to find housing for single people who are homeless, as well as single parent families looking for supportive housing.

One of the early steps in approaching the issue, will be work on the City's imminent homeless housing survey, an information gathering project that will be conducted to determine just what the need might be in the region.

If a need is determined from their work, then the committee will move its work forward using the money available to identify how to address that need in an innovative way.

The Mayor also noted to Council that more information will be released to the public regarding their plans over the next two weeks, providing for an update as to how it will all move forward.

You can review the full overview of the Housing initiative from the City's Video Archive, the topic is introduced at the four minute mark and continues through to the twelve minute point.





For more items related to Housing in the Northwest see our archive page here.

For further background on Council notes or developments see our archive page here.