Saanich staff had worked with the Victoria Native Friendship Centre since last fall on the plan to double shelter capacity, and Mayor Dean Murdock says they were led to believe provincial funding would be available.
The District of Saanich and Victoria Native Friendship Centre say they feel blindsided by a B.C. Housing decision to deny funding for the expansion of shelter services at the Regina Avenue facility.
“It feels exceedingly frustrating and disappointing,” said Saanich Mayor Dean Murdock. “I find it obtuse that we would be told on the one hand that local governments need to do everything they can to support the creation of housing and the creation of shelter spaces for folks in our community and then on the other hand, be denied support through funding for the expansion of shelter space.”
Saanich staff had worked with the Victoria Native Friendship Centre since last fall on the plan to double the shelter capacity of the centre, and Murdock said they were led to believe provincial funding would be made available.
The centre offers 25 shelter beds and as many as 33 in extreme weather.
Ron Rice, executive director of the centre, said the decision caused a “great deal of confusion,” noting the plan to double capacity required a 23% increase in the budget.
“When we started this conversation, B.C. Housing pulled us aside at an event and said: ‘Should we earmark some money for the spring?’ ” he said.
“And we were denied. Our team was confused. Our board was confused. In conversations with the mayor of Saanich and the mayor of Victoria, the municipalities are confused — everyone believes it’s a priority.”
Murdock said they have been given two different stories about why the application was denied — that there was no money left, and that the application requested money from the wrong pot.
“I don’t accept that,” the mayor said. “There had been back and forth with B.C. Housing staff on this exact issue and the application that was going to be submitted and staff had been actively encouraging this application. This is more than just wires getting crossed.
“It’s an example of perhaps the right hand not knowing what the left hand is doing, but it’s left both district staff and the VNFC staff extremely frustrated.”
Murdock said he is confident they can find a solution.
Council voted unanimously Monday to direct Murdock to write to B.C. Housing, Housing Minister Ravi Kahlon and Saanich-Swan Lake MLA Nina Krieger to advocate for funding to support increased shelter bed space at the Victoria Native Friendship Centre.
Murdock said he is also scheduled to have a call with Kahlon later this week.
“We’ll be pursuing every avenue possible to ensure that the funding is available in order to support these badly needed spaces,” he said.
“I think the minister, the ministry and B.C. Housing are well aware of the challenges that exist within our region. We’ve been actively encouraged as local governments to do more and to step up to the plate. This is a clear example of us doing that. And our expectation is the province will be there to support the expansion of these shelter spaces with funding.”
Last fall, some City of Victoria councillors criticized Saanich for a lack of emergency shelter beds in the district.
Saying it was tired of doing the heavy lifting for the region, council sent letters to Saanich and other municipalities in the region requesting that additional shelter spaces be set up so unhoused residents aren’t sent to Victoria.
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