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By Aaron Schulze

Assisting the Street Population

City of Kamloops applying for $2.5 million grant to help street-affected population

Apr 14, 2021 | 11:24 AM

KAMLOOPS — Four Portland Loo-style washrooms, street outreach and security, a fenced pathway between the Overlanders Bridge and First Avenue and a wash care shower facility.

These are some of the items the City of Kamloops’ will include on its application for the Strengthening Communities’ Services grant program that’s being administered by the Union of British Columbia Municipalities. The grant is intended to improve the health and safety of unsheltered homeless people and reduce community concerns about health and safety in places where unsheltered homeless populations are seeking shelter or services.

Kamloops could be eligible for up to $2.5 million based on its population, but Mayor Ken Christian said the full list of initiatives is well over that amount.

“We didn’t have any shortage of projects,” Christian said. “It’s a question of making sure the ones we put forward were within the grant parameters. We’re going to have to do part of some of those projects, or prioritize some of them, or find other sources of funding. These are urgently needed to assist that population in Kamloops, and we want to make sure we’re able to look after all of our citizens’ safety.”

At its regular meeting Tuesday (Apr. 13), council took an hour to discuss the components of the city’s grant application. There was concern about continued taxation to maintain some of the items once the grant money has disappeared. Christian said council can re-visit which items would get grant funding – if they are successful, partially successful or not – but they needed to get the application in before the April 16 deadline.

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“We anticipate by the end of May we’ll hear if we were successful or partially successful, then we’ll prioritize our list,” Christian said. “In this particular endeavor, we’re talking to a lot of our partners: RCMP, business associations, ASK Wellness, Canadian Mental Health Association and the Mustard Seed.”

Christian said the public will have a chance to provide their input on the city’s “Let’s Talk Kamloops” website when the time comes.