Funding pulled from controversial Kelowna recovery house in Rutland

KELOWNA – In an ironic twist, the society that hoped to construct a controversial apartment building opposed by many in the Rutland area says the project will not go ahead as planned because B.C. Housing has withdrawn a promise of funding.

Freedom’s Door director Tom Smithwick said the 49-bed facility dubbed Freedom House cannot proceed without $4-million construction funding from B.C. Housing, which he said has recently narrowed and changed its project criteria.

Kelowna council approved the development at McCurdy Road and Rutland Road North last fall in the face of stiff opposition from local residents who didn’t want a recovery house in the area.

But now Smithwick said Freedom’s Door has been told it was one of a list of project affected by the change, which he thinks is aimed squarely at the way the faith-based organization offers addictions rehabilitation using the 12 Steps program.

“I think that’s the gist of why they are doing it,” he added.

Freedom’s Door currently serves men only at four duplex houses in Rutland on Centennial Court. Participants commit to a 90-day program are charged $750 a month, an all-inclusive fee tailored to the current income assistance allowance for single men.

“They may be on social assistance, a disability pension, employment insurance or self-paid by family,” he said.

Recovery programming is based on the 12 Steps, Narcotics Anonymous and Alcoholics Anonymous, Smithwick added, and participants must be in active recovery or “dry” to continue living in the group homes.

While there’s no limit on how long they can stay, clients are asked to leave if they relapse although Smithwick says they are given help to find space in another recovery program and can reapply to enter Freedom’s Door.

“You couldn’t have active users living there, it would be chaos,” Smithwick said. “But otherwise they can stay as long as they want."

When added to the 40 men they serve now — there’s a waiting list to get into their program — Smithwick said Freedom House would have allowed the non-profit society to house 89 men using the abstinence model, which is where he thinks they have run afoul of B.C. Housing.

“I do think that’s the gist of it,” Smithwick said, adding he doesn’t agree that all funding should be directed to the “harm reduction model” he thinks B.C. Housing is now promoting, which includes housing for people with active addictions.

“They are managing their addiction and there’s nothing wrong with that approach for those who wish to remain in their addiction,” he said. “The other side of the coin is there are many who want to entirely get out their addictions, they want to go through recovery, they don’t want to do medication long term.”

B.C. Housing, however, paints a different picture of what is going on.

In a prepared statement, B.C. Housing representative Laura Miller denied the criteria for funding has changed and said the organization has not yet committed funding for the project.

"The society submitted a project proposal to B.C. Housing which included a significant request of approximately $4 million in funding. At the time that they submitted their proposal, B.C. Housing did not have a funding program available that was suitable for this project’s financing model,” the statement reads.  

"B.C. Housing communicated to the developer that new programs funded through Budget 2018 are now accepting submissions and if they meet the criteria, this housing may qualify for funding. B.C. Housing will be following up with the society and the developer to determine if they will be submitting a proposal for these new funding streams.”

In the meantime, Smithwick said the society will “accept it and move on” barring the appearance of a surprise donor willing to cover the shortfall.

“Maybe if someone reads in the media that what we were building was of substantial benefit to the community, they will step forward,” he said. “If that happens, hallelujah.”

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