The District of Sechelt voted last week to request a copy of the contract between RainCity Housing and Support Society and BC Housing, under the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FOI).
At the Dec. 4 regular District of Sechelt meeting, a notice of motion brought forward by councillors Alton Toth and Brenda Rowe, which read in part, “Whereas the District of Sechelt is committed to ensuring the safety and well-being of all residents, including those living in supportive housing and emergency shelter; and whereas the current operator of the supportive housing facility and emergency shelter in Sechelt has not sufficiently contributed to alleviating safety concerns in the surrounding neighbourhood, including ongoing issues with crime, theft, vandalism; and whereas these issues are negatively impacting the quality of life for local residents, businesses, and emergency responders.
“Therefore, let it be resolved that the District of Sechelt request that BC Housing terminate its contract with the operator of the supportive housing facility and emergency shelter in Sechelt, and initiate a new tendering process for the provision of these services, ensuring that any future operator demonstrates a strong commitment to community safety and effective management and support of both resident and community needs…”
An amendment was later made to the motion asking that the word “terminate,” be replaced due to its implications. Deputy mayor Brenda Rowe made the amendment.
“I understand the word terminate elicits fear in people with job loss, etc. And I do want to mitigate that,” said Rowe. “In the motion, we're asking BC Housing to terminate a contract. They're not just going to terminate it without cause, because that would leave them in a perilous situation that I can almost guarantee would require a review, report, time, etc.”
Rowe added part of the problem is council’s lack of information because it was denied a request to look at the service agreement.
“We actually don't know what the nonprofit is supposed to be providing,” said Rowe. “So, people come to me all the time and are saying, ‘RainCity is not doing this, not doing this, not doing this.’ Well, they're probably not even supposed to be doing it, but we don't know. We don't have a copy of the service agreement. So, we don't even know when that agreement expires…So, we could actually put ourselves in a more tenuous situation by asking for termination that requires longer than if a contract is up next year...”
It was Toth who made the amendment to the motion asking that staff begin work on an FOI. Toth added, he was doubtful the motion would result in RainCity’s contract being terminated.
“Do I actually expect our motion to result in the operators’ contract being terminated? No, and I'm not sure that we would be so fortunate in this particular case,” he told council. “What I am hoping for is that the province or BC Housing maybe realize that we do have problems in our little community. Our residents are angry. Our businesses are being victimized. We're being asked by our residents to do something, anything, to help them. And I think that that's what this motion is accomplishing by coming forward.”
Toth acknowledged the “community is in pain,” so it’s important for the province to understand. He added, if the province isn’t going to move forward with a new operator for the supportive housing and shelter, at the least they should step up with some extra resources.
“The provincial RCMP complement hasn't increased in a very long time. The security patrol for downtown cost was over $100,000 this year,” said Toth. “There are real costs to our staff cleaning up encampments and our parks every week, and the downloading of services from the province has a tangible and not insignificant cost too in our community.”
He noted some other communities across the province have taken the step of sending the B.C. government bills for resources, such as extra security.
“But the way I see it, if the province decides to just pay that bill, does that give them the confidence that this downloading is okay?” said Toth. “Personally, I'd rather Sechelt had a voice at the table when it comes to our service providers and who's operating in our community. There's a lot of ways to get it right and a lot of impact to getting it wrong. And to me, it appears that somehow the province in BC Housing has gotten it wrong this time, at least here in the District of Sechelt.”
To that end, the final section of the motion asks that BC Housing consider input from the District of Sechelt in regard to neighbourhood concerns and expectations prior to issuing a new contract, that the district request a financial contribution from BC Housing to assist with security, safety, and regular clean-up in the neighbourhood surrounding the supportive housing and shelter buildings, "in response to issues perpetuated by those facilities being located in close proximity to each other and residential neighbours," and that a copy of the request be forwarded to MLA Randene Neill for additional assistance.
An email to Coast Reporter from B.C. Housing said everyone deserves a safe place to live, with access to the services they need.
"That’s why the Province, through B.C Housing, is working to address the urgent need for housing for people experiencing homelessness in the Sechelt area and throughout the province," the email said. "We know the district has brought forward concerns about the operations of the shelter on Wharf Ave. and the supportive housing building at 5656 Hightide Ave. BC Housing is committed to continuing to work with the district to identify issues and work with the provider to address those issues and concerns. We recognize that creating safe neighbourhoods requires a coordinated approach with all levels of government, as well as Indigenous and community partners, including service providers."
As for the end dates for the contracts held by RainCity, B.C. Housing said the current operating agreement for 5653 Wharf Ave. was renewed in February 2023 and is set to expire on March 31, 2026, with options to extend. The operating agreement for 5656 Hightide Ave. was extended in February 2024 for five years, expiring on March 31, 2029.
"Operating agreements between B.C. Housing and providers contain sensitive and financial information and for this reason, BC Housing does not share them with the public."
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