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WEDNESDAY
October 27, 2010
32
Heritage Woods lays claim to district field hockey crown.
Your source for local news, sports, weather and entertainment. www.thenownews.com
PoCo closer to helping homeless Jennifer McFee jmcfee@thenownews.com
The Homes For Good Society is one step closer to its goal of ending homelessness in the Tri-Cities. Last Tuesday, the non-profit organization reached a longawaited agreement with the Ministry of Housing that will allow plans to proceed. “That’s what we were waiting for. We really couldn’t move forward until we had an agreement with the ministry on how we were going to implement our housingfirst initiative,” said Port Coquitlam Mayor Greg Moore. “Things are going to start happening now in the sense that we’re going to start board development and fundraising. We’re going to start working to solidify our partnerships and then start looking for clients to house.” The Homes for Good Society launched last October, stemming from Port Coquitlam’s action team on homelessness. It focuses on a housing-first model of providing homes and wrap-around services to help chronically homeless people stay off the streets. The group had originally hoped to house 10 homeless people in the Tri-Cities by the end of March 2010, and another 30 by the end of this year. The five-year plan seeks to find homes for all homeless people in the Tri-Cities and then expand services to other communities. However, the process stalled due to red-tape. “The province has regulations that do not allow subsidizing rent, and that’s CONT. ON PAGE 4, see HOMES.
Paul vanPeenen/NOW
GOING ALL OUT: Betty White and Phil Crawford have put the finishing touches on a ghoulish Halloween display at 1924 Westminster Ave. in Port Coquitlam. The display is open from 6 to 10 p.m. through Halloween night, and donations will be accepted for the BC SPCA. For details on more Halloween displays and events, see Page 13. To send us details of your own event or display, e-mail editorial@thenownews.com.
Coquitlam votes on shelter plans
Police counter residents’ fears of increased crime, litter and trespassing John Kurucz jkurucz@thenownews.com Emotions boiled over in Coquitlam council chambers Monday as councillors took the first of many steps toward rezoning land for a permanent homeless shelter in east Coquitlam. The city’s land use committee unanimously voted in favour of a zoning amendment to pave the way for a 30-person permanent homeless shelter, on top of a future market development site, at 3030 Gordon Ave. The project is in need of provincial funding and a non-profit service provider before it can move ahead, and Monday’s vote was seen as the first step in that process. “What is really at the heart of this is to have a
site … to be shelf-ready to go once the provincial government is in a position to start announcing funding for these sorts of housing shelter projects around the Lower Mainland,” said Jim McIntyre, Coquitlam’s general manager of planning and development. “By moving forward and having the site appropriately designated in our official community plan, and appropriately zoned, it moves us up the list of priorities.” Monday’s vote was preceded by a lengthy list of speakers, including members of the Coquitlam RCMP, city staff and homelessness advocates, as well as area residents opposed to the proposal. Citing concerns around trespassing, public safety and the size of the proposed building, Reece Avenue resident Greg MacDonald said the majority of residents living in the adjacent neighbourhood support
helping the homeless, but don’t endorse the Gordon Avenue location. “We are all in favour of helping those less fortunate, but we feel our neighbourhood is being sacrificed to achieve this. This is by no means a win-win situation,” he said. Hoy Street resident Garry Badour was incensed by Monday’s proceedings, claiming problems already seen in the neighbourhood — litter, crime and trespassing — would be exacerbated if a shelter is located in the area. Badour yelled at council members from the viewing gallery before the issue was put to a vote, claiming the committee is “biased.” “We live there — all of our lives will be ruined,” CONTINUED ON PAGE 4, see NEIGHBOURHOOD.
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