Pubdate: Wed, 26 Apr 2006
Source: Kelowna Capital News (CN BC)
Copyright: 2006, West Partners Publishing Ltd.
Contact:  http://www.kelownacapnews.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1294
Author: Shelley Nicholl
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/rehab.htm (Treatment)

MAYOR HEEDS ST. PAUL BUSINESS AREA CONCERNS

As a long-time advocate of homeless issues, it was a bit of a  
surprise Mayor Sharon Shepherd voted against putting in a supportive  
housing complex on St. Paul Street.

Shepherd was one of three dissenting votes in Monday's decision to  
reaffirm the site chosen in November for the 30-unit housing complex  
for those battling addictions and mental illness.

Shepherd said the downtown site was too vulnerable for the residents  
and believed the $4.5 million from the province might better have  
been spent on upgrading or expanding current services.

Ian Graham, chairman of the homelessness steering committee, wasn't  
surprised by Shepherd's response.

"I thought she had another agenda all the way," he said.

The issue was not so much the project, as how it came about, he  
explained.

The project, along with moving the Gospel Mission, was hand-picked by  
the premier's task force on homelessness last year from a list of  
items identified by the homelessness steering committee, some of  
which have been funded by federal grants.

The supportive housing wasn't the top priority on the list, Graham  
explained, but it was one that the province could easily control  
under the Interior Health Authority.

Shepherd, a councillor at the time, had no say in the choice. Former  
mayor Walter Gray was involved as a member of the task force, but  
city council had no input over what was specifically picked.

As such, when Shepherd was elected mayor in November, she landed with  
the project and the resulting controversy.

Graham admitted she was handed a full plate when elected but had  
hoped now that the vote was in, she'd get behind the project.

When asked why she didn't advocate for the money to go in different  
directions last year, Shepherd said it was really out of her hands.

"I didn't know all the dialogue before and the money that went to all  
seven communities," she said.

She had hoped council might want to lobby the government to spend the  
money differently. "We didn't debate where the money should go," she  
said.

Now she's concerned that if the city gets $4.5 million for this  
project, it might be a while before anything comes in for other  
projects.

Coun. Michele Rule agreed that there could have been other projects  
that could have been funded instead, but felt that the transitional  
housing was needed and should be supported.

"There are gaps in the continuum of care," said Rule.

"It helps if we can fill any of them. This fills a gap."

The community was active in its opposition to the project and  
Shepherd sees the heightened awareness as a positive dividend.

The next step is to hire a drug policy coordinator and look at  
options for moving the Gospel Mission.

At this point, Shepherd said placing it next to the RCMP detachment  
downtown would be a logical spot to alleviate the fears people have.
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MAP posted-by: Jackl