Pubdate: Thu, 20 Mar 2014 Source: Metro (Vancouver, CN BC) Copyright: 2014 Metro Canada Contact: http://www.metronews.ca/vancouver Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3775 Author: Matt Kieltyka Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?142 (Supervised Injection Sites) PHS BOARD STEPS DOWN UNDER PRESSURE DTES. Spending Concerns Spell the End for the Leaders of the Portland Hotel Society Mark Townsend's day consisted of putting on a brave face and answering the same barrage of questions from every media outlet in the city, one by one. "What a way to go out," an exasperated Townsend remarked following a television interview at the Downtown Eastside's Drug Resource Centre, where some of the clients gathered on the periphery to hear first-hand of his downfall. It wasn't supposed to end this way. The people who championed supervised injection sites through Insite, needle distribution and many other innovative harm-reduction practices - while providing shelter and housing in Vancouver's most impoverished neighbourhood - unceremoniously closed the book on their time with the Portland Hotel Society (PHS). After weeks of speculation, news broke Wednesday that Townsend, his wife Liz Evans and the entire board of the non-profit organization had stepped down on the heels of a BC Housing audit into questionable spending practices. Apparently Townsend, coexecutive director of PHS since it formed in 1993, and his team were given a "stark choice": Resign and clear the way for a new board and management to take over, or challenge the provincial government in court and risk everything he had built over the last 21 years. "'Burn the village down or do what we say,'" Townsend paraphrased. "We can't inflict pain on the people we care about so we agreed to step aside." The resignations mean PHS will continue to provide its array of services and housing, while staff will keep their jobs. A new board will be elected at the end of the month, and Townsend is committed to ensuring a smooth transition. "All programs, all services will be staying intact," he stressed. "My hope is our disappearance will be a blip." His legacy, however, is much more than just a blip, according to Vancouver Coun. Geoff Meggs. "The leadership we got from PHS and people like Mark Townsend and Liz Evans was really important and crucial in this stage of the city's life," Meggs told Metro. "It's disappointing it has come to this. Hopefully this is the opening of a new chapter for PHS." BC Housing was investigating irregularities such as paid trips for staff on vacation or attending overseas conferences. Townsend insists those costs were covered by private sources. "One hundred per cent of our operational funding goes to services," he insisted. Neither BC Housing nor the government was available for comment Wednesday. Vancouver Coastal Health confirmed Insite will continue to operate. - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom