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By Mel Rothenburger

ARMCHAIR MAYOR

ROTHENBURGER: BC Housing continues with its ‘done deal’ approach on shelters

Apr 12, 2023 | 4:41 AM

BC HOUSING works in mysterious ways. I mean that both in the sense of being hard to understand, and of operating in an atmosphere of secrecy.

Residents in the Stuart Wood area have received letters telling them the emergency winter shelter in the old elementary school that was supposed to close at the end of March will now continue to operate as a summer shelter through to Nov. 1.

There was no consultation with residents, no announcement for the general population. No request for input. It’s simply a done deal.

The City didn’t know about it until yesterday, when it was told during a council meeting.

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According to the letter, the shelter will continue to be operated by the Out of the Cold Society seven days a week, the entrance will be moved, and new fencing installed “to improve traffic flow for shelter staff, guests, and nearby community use.”

When informed about the letter by former councillor Denis Walsh at the council meeting, Community and Protective Services director Byron McCorkell could only surmise that BC Housing will now talk to the community.

But, of course, that’s not consultation. That’s simply telling people what’s already been decided.

It’s not good enough but it’s become typical of BC Housing’s strategy. It also doesn’t meet the standard laid out in a Memorandum of Understanding negotiated between the City and BC Housing a year ago after Moira House was foisted on the Westmount community.

That MOU says, in part, that BC Housing will “coordinate communications efforts with the City and initiate public and stakeholder engagement and/or notification processes in advance of future shelter and housing development, whenever possible.”

One wonders whether this move is somehow connected to the upcoming closure of Merit Place in the old bus depot in June, but BC Housing was unable to get back to me with answers yesterday.

The whole thing smacks of same old, same old.

I’m Mel Rothenburger, the Armchair Mayor.

Mel Rothenburger is a regular contributor to CFJC Today, publishes the ArmchairMayor.ca opinion website, and is a recipient of the Jack Webster Foundation Lifetime Achievement Award. He has served as mayor of Kamloops, school board chair and TNRD director, and is a retired newspaper editor. He can be reached at mrothenburger@armchairmayor.ca.

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Editor’s Note: This opinion piece reflects the views of its author, and does not necessarily represent the views of CFJC Today or Pattison Media.