Quesnel’s Board of Education has come out in support of the proposed supportive housing project on Elliott Street but there is a but.
Board Chair Gloria Jackson…
“We are opposed to clinical services being provided in the new supportive housing project. We understand that the Elliott St. supportive housing project, as presented by BC Housing, does not include clinical programs and drop-in food services, and that these will be provide by Northern Health in an alternate location.”
Jackson says the services that they have been told won’t be offered there include a dispensary for methadone, Naloxone and an HIV-HEP C clinic.
She says the Board also wants a good neighbour agreement to be developed with representation on it….
“It must include a safety plan and process for monitoring the commitments of the agreement. It is critical that the commitments of the new housing project staff and a clean team doing daily neighbourhood clean-up in place. Strategies for the prevention of dangerous garbage, for example sharps in the neighbourhood, should also be included. And i believe the clean-team language came directly from documentation that we got from BC Housing and the Shelter Society. And an alert system for emergency situations to keep neighbours safe should be developed.”
Jackson says timely information should be provided to the Principal of Riverview Elementary to allow for quick action to ensure student safety and well being.