Police and firefighters were called to this Coquitlam shelter over 700 times last year – BC

The City of Coquitlam is expressing growing concerns about a supportive housing facility and homeless shelter.

The facility at 3030 Gordon Ave., operated by RainCity Housing, is the only permanent facility in the Tri-Cities region serving the homeless.

The project, which opened in 2015, is putting a significant strain on city resources, according to the staff report before council Monday.

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“While 3030 Gordon is recognized as an important resource in the community, Council has long-standing concerns about operation of the program and its impact on the surrounding community,” the report states.

Last year alone, the facility and a tent encampment that has grown around it were responsible for 218 calls to fire services and about 500 calls to police for incidents including overdoses, fires, and disturbances.

Nearby business owners like Wes Banh, who runs a family automotive shop, said the spillover impacts have been noticeable.

“Break-ins in the shop,” he said. “I’ve had to deal with a lot of feces, like a lot.”

“I don’t know the solution to it, but at least make it look like you want to do something,” he added.

The city has laid out several key priorities it wants the provincial government to tackle, including an increase in service funding to support the street-entrenched and a new framework and funding for better shelter and housing services.

Coquitlam’s general manager of planning and development is recommending the mayor write to BC Housing and provincial and federal ministers to outline the city’s concerns and costs associated with the 3030 facility.

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It also recommends the mayor press BC Housing for a progress report on implementing recommendations in a recent operational review of the 3030 facility.

Monday’s report notes that the Tri-Cities are grappling with a surge in street homelessness.

According to the 2023 Metro Vancouver homeless count, the community saw an 86 per cent increase in the unhoused over 2020, nearly triple the increase seen elsewhere in the region.

Macrthy Whyze, who distributes supplies to the homeless in the Tri-Cities, said he’s seen the growth first-hand.

“People need help. The help isn’t there yet. And as a result, we’re getting people that are having to sleep outside,” he said.

“They’re local people that many times have been on wait lists for long, long periods of time. And the line and the time just seems to keep on growing.”

The report to council recommends the city press the province for new commitments on homelessness, mental health, and substance use issues and that the city call for a sub-regional approach to new supportive housing and services.

Global News is seeking comment from the City of Coquitlam and Mayor Richard Stewart.

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