ELECTION ’24 – As access hub moves forward, NDP candidate cites ‘municipal failure’

As the City moves forward with plans for a “North Shore Access Hub,” the issue of daytime services for the homeless has become part of the provincial election campaign.

In the wake of an announcement that a site has been tentatively secured for the access hub, the NDP candidate for Kamloops Centre says a “municipal failure” has played a role in the lack of daytime drop-in services.

Kamal Grewal said in a news release Wednesday she’s concerned about the closure of the Loop on Tranquille Road and the end of day services offered by the Mustard Seed.

The Loop has lost its location at Tranquille and MacKenzie as of today (Aug. 1, 2024) because the building has been purchased for redevelopment, while the Mustard Seed has closed its dayroom to non-clients due to concerns about the impact on clients’ sobriety.

A City Hall news release Monday said council met in a closed door meeting July 16 to authorize a North Shore site for year-round shelter services. It would provide meals, hygienic facilities, amenity space, and connections to housing, social and health services, supportive employment, and wellness opportunities.

Location of the access hub wasn’t revealed but the release said details will be shared after purchase is finalized. It said council’s intention is to transition the property to BC Housing, which will identify a shelter operator.

The site will be rezoned to allow multi-unit residential use.

However, Grewal said more needs to be done to meet the needs of the community’s homeless.

“We’ve seen the effect that extreme summer temperatures in Kamloops have had on the general population over the past few years,” she said.

“You can just imagine how difficult it will be for the unhoused or inadequately housed when there are no drop-in centres to provide basic services such as meals and links to other basic services.”

Grewal agreed with the Loop’s Glenn Hilke that daytime drop-in centres are an essential link in the provision of services.

Social agencies have a key role to play in providing the services but “governments at both the municipal and provincial levels have a responsibility to meet these needs,” said Grewal.

The North Shore Access Hub “is just a beginning,” she said.

“There’s work still to be done to finalize the land purchase, and then a lengthy process of community engagement.  Until this shelter is open, people in need are not being served.”

The candidate said the NDP provincial government has made major investments in increasing social services for Kamloops, funding such facilities as Spero House and Way Home for youth, and has initiated a poverty reduction plan.

“The city, however, also has a role to play, and that’s my primary concern,” said Grewal.

“There’s a municipal failure here that is disconcerting and worrisome. It’s intolerable for a city with a population exceeding 100,000 to fail to provide these essential services.”

Coun. Nancy Bepple, the deputy mayor for July, said council “is keenly aware of the fact that there is no year-round low barrier shelter site on the North Shore. We strongly support the access hub vision created by the North Shore Business Improvement Association and our community partner agencies.

“The City had the ability to act more quickly than our provincial partners to secure this opportunity. We decided to take leadership and make things happen. We are eager to see BC Housing and community partners open this site as soon as possible.”

NSBIA executive director Jeremy Heighton said the association has been advocating for “more robust service delivery model to engage street entrenched people in our community as well as support community interface management.”

He said securing a site for the access hub “is a significant boost to the extensive behind the scenes work that community leaders, City of Kamloops staff and Council, agencies and government have been undertaking. We are feeling optimistic about the pathway forward for street level services on the North Shore.”