Mayor Reid Hamer-Jackson has long called for social housing in Kamloops to invest in drug recovery programs, so it was “music” to his ears when council unanimously supported such a lobbying effort.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It was a rare moment of enthusiastic support from the controversial mayor as he joined the rest of council in demanding BC Housing invest more services<\/a> into an upcoming North Kamloops supportive housing project and others throughout the city.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Speaking with iNFOnews.ca, Hamer-Jackson said he not only applauds council’s support for more drug recovery programs, he claimed a hand in making it happen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n “You know how, in part, I did it? I did it by getting the citizens to email city council,” he said. “I did it very early on.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n It was councillor Kelly Hall who proposed the initiative through a notice of motion, citing feedback from residents and non-profits. Council heard from residents opposed to the housing project shortly after BC Housing’s plans went public, but Hamer-Jackson said that followed his meeting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n “When they first introduced that project on Leigh Road, I had citizens contact me to meet with them\u2026 I said you’ve got to express your concerns to our council, and it’s a good idea not to mention my name,” he said, estimating there were 30 people at the meeting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n “They did a great job. The citizens’ voices were heard and what happened was it was going in front of council on a Tuesday. They hammered emails to council all weekend.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n Hall’s motion prompted several councillors to express frustration with BC Housing, particularly over plans for the upcoming Leigh Road site to be a low-barrier facility. It was a project first brought to council more than a year ago and was approved for a rezoning application earlier this year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The housing ministry indicated the program may focus on drug recovery before reverting in the fall to a harm reduction housing site with fewer services, councillors said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI\u2019m putting this on the minister\u2019s lap because she\u2019s made it clear all she cares about is wet (housing), not recovery,\u201d Coun. Dale Bass said during the Dec. 9 council meeting.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n The extent of council’s lobbying includes requests to meet with the ministers of health and housing, aiming to discuss recovery-oriented supportive housing and a desire to see tangible progress in how each are addressing the toxic drug crisis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n