Penticton shuts door on tiny homes for homeless

Penticton city councillors debated for nearly an hour Tuesday before voting down a tiny home project that could have put roofs over the heads of 50 homeless people.

The contentious BC Housing project was modelled on similar projects in Kelowna, in part pitched as a response to the outcry over the large, controversial Fairview homeless encampment.

After hundreds of public responses, some were still reluctant to approve the site. Coun. Campbell Watt, who spurred a delay to the vote last month, said the province is forcing council to choose between a specific housing model or it would “turn its back on” Penticton to deal with the encampment.

He said it should be a “dry” facility and not allow drug use.

“I’m not ready yet to take that gamble on behalf of the community, although I know it’s for the community. So, our most vulnerable, we are meant stand up for. I want to do that, but I don’t want to be forced to do it,” he said at the Dec. 2 council meeting.

Mayor Julius Bloomfield and Coun. Isaac said Penticton has asked for such a project for months and would lose its chance for similar provincial funding if it were turned down, but they couldn’t convince the rest of council, who were concerned about the inclusion of a safe consumption site.

“It’s the only option we have on the table from BC Housing for a very good reason. It’s because it’s the only option we know is in full demand,” Bloomfield said. “We have dry facilities in Penticton… but the demand is for wet facilities.”

Penticton isn’t alone in that either. A non-profit in Kamloops, running several BC Housing sites, found recovery-focused facilities that don’t allow drugs are often unfilled, while unhoused people largely take up spaces in others where safe consumption sites are included.

The tiny homes would have been built on a City of Penticton-owned plot of industrial land at 2088 Dartmouth Drive. For three years, it would have housed up to 50 people and included numerous security measures.

The Fairview encampment, meanwhile, has been cleared at least once this year, but it’s unlikely to happen again after the tiny home denial. Regardless of the encampment existing on provincial government land, the city can’t evict the homeless campers without shelter space as a replacement.

“If we deny this, I hope I never hear the words uttered around this table again saying the province is downloading because we have now denied millions of dollars into the city, saying we do not want this program, Coun. Isaac Gilbert said.

Councillors opposed, including Jason Reynen, Shannon Stewart, Ryan Graham and Watt, voiced concerns about both drug use and crime often associated with the homeless population.

Reynen also said he did not trust the data homeless population surveys that suggest the vast majority are drug users because Penticton has a high senior population. He said the program should focus on detox and rehabilitation.

“My vote is not against helping people, I’m making that very clear. It’s a vote for the right kind of help. It’s a vote for help first, real clinical care and a model that protects vulnerable people, the workers and businesses in our industrial area. For these reasons, I cannot support this,” he said while holding back tears.

Bloomfield and Gilbert were the only two on council to vote in favour of the project.

The mayor warned council the provincial funding would go to other BC communities who want similar projects.