Quesnel City Council is now formally asking the Provincial Government to help it get some answers from BC Housing when it comes to the relocation of the homeless shelter.
Council unanimously approved a letter to that effect to Selena Robinson, the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing.
Mayor Bob Simpson noted at last night’s meeting that this is a follow-up to conversations that he had with her at the Union of BC Municipalities convention and is a dcirect plea to her…
“To either explain to us why BC Housing would not issue a Request For Proposals for the operations of the new facility. If there is a good reason we haven’t heard it yet and we need to know that. Or intervene on our behalf and ask BC Housing to issue a request for proposals.
And i think a fair and level playing field for all of the agencies that can operate such a facility would be fair and that would include the Quesnel Shelter and Support Society as one of the respndents for the requests for proposals.”
Simpson says they continue to get feedback in the community that the project is not so much the issue as the operations.
He says the concern is that the Quesnel Shelter and Support Society, despite assurances, will chose to become things to all people at the new facility on Elliott Street and continue to offer a “safe haven” environment at the new shelter.
Simpson says that has created significant public safety issues for the community and has created an unnecessary backlash against the proposed replacement shelter and transition housing facility.