BC Govt Reverses Course on Supportive Housing Safety

(Image courtesy of CBC)

Last week, the BC government announced that it would be taking action against “problematic” residents of supportive housing and work to address problems relating to air quality, such as secondhand exposure to fentanyl. This is a reversal of the government’s previous position. 

“Supportive housing is a vital and successful way to help people experiencing or at risk of homelessness come indoors and access supports, instead of living on the street or in unsafe encampments,” Minister of Housing Ravi Kahlon said, “We have heard from providers that they need more authority to take action and keep people safe, and we will be working with our partners to find a path forward that ensures people can live in a safe, inclusive and supportive environment.”

A Neglected Issue

Many housing providers and tenants' rights groups have urged the government to respond to this issue for months, saying that crime and drug use harm landlords and residents alike. “Situations like this make communities fear and oppose supportive housing, and it does not have to be this way,” Carolina Ibarra, CEO of Victoria-based Pacifica Housing, told CBC in May. 

These groups want the government to remove supportive housing buildings from the BC Residential Tenancy Act. Under the act, landlords have little power to evict tenants immediately if they are found with a weapon or even enter their room to seize items. Under section 29 of the act, a landlord may enter if “an emergency exists and the entry is necessary to protect life or property.” However, the interpretation of such a law can be ambiguous. 

Minister Kahlon said earlier this year that supportive housing buildings were safe and that the buildings provide shelter for those in desperate need. If the statement from the Minister last week is any indication, the government will now take a more assertive role.