Pubdate: Thu, 12 Jan 2006
Source: Daily Courier, The (CN BC)
Copyright: 2006 The Okanagan Valley Group of Newspapers
Contact: http://209.115.237.105/kelowna/publish/include/letterToEditor.php
Website: http://www.kelownadailycourier.ca
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/531
Author: J.P. Squire

'PIECEMEAL' APPROACH TO ADDICT HOUSING SLAMMED

Partners in a proposed transition house were accused of a piecemeal 
approach as city council's task force held its inaugural meeting Wednesday.

"Is there a game plan in place? Is there a long-term strategy, or are 
we doing this in a piecemeal fashion?" asked task force member Weldon 
LeBlanc, chief executive officer of the Kelowna Chamber of Commerce.

"Interior Health does have a plan for addiction, drug and mental 
health programs. We're providing the services to the individuals, but 
not the actual housing," responded Ira Roness, IHA senior manager of 
alcohol and drug services.

A larger strategy is in the works by B.C. Housing based on many 
housing issues, LeBlanc was reassured, but he repeated his comment 
about the piecemeal approach and added: "How does this fit into the 
big picture?"

The task force was appointed by council to review the proposed 1436 
St. Paul St. location, not look at potential locations for future 
transition housing.

However, Rutland town centre rep Brad Dunlop noted: "We may look at 
the total picture differently than this one in isolation."

Recovering addicts and alcoholics who reside at Kelowna's new 
transition house will be able to fall off the wagon and not get 
kicked out because it is a so-called "wet" facility, Roness explained 
to the 10 other committee members at the meeting.

As long as residents of the 30-bed apartment block remain committed 
to the counselling program, they won't be penalized for consuming 
drugs on or off the premises.

By comparison, a "damp" facility allows residents to consume off the 
premises but not there. A "dry" facility doesn't allow any drug use.

"It's important to maintain that contact with residents," Roness said 
afterwards. "We have something that hasn't been tried in Kelowna 
before, but has been successful in other communities. We are 
confident it will work."

Theresa Eichler, the city's community planning manager, who chaired 
the meeting, was pleased with the inaugural session. The next is at 4 
p.m. Jan. 26 at City Hall.

"I think it went fairly smoothly. We accomplished everything on the 
agenda. I think this is a good process," said Eichler.

City officials didn't launch the process earlier because provincial 
officials demanded the city designate a specific property for the 
$4.5-million project, she explained.

"We didn't think we had this luxury (of public consultation) when the 
process started. According to the premier's task force on 
homelessness, we needed to identify an address by last March. We were 
going into it in good faith."

However, Jim Carta, co-ordinator of a St. Paul Street business group 
trying to convince council it selected the wrong site, said 
Kelowna-Lake Country MLA Sindi Hawkins confirmed Wednesday there is 
no deadline attached to the funding, "yet everything has been done on 
an emergency basis."
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MAP posted-by: Beth Wehrman