'PATH' TO GET FUNDING

A Cloverdale drug and alcohol recovery house has been granted provincial
funding, ending a lengthy battle with Victoria to keep the 10-bed home running.

Hardev Randhawa, director of Path to Freedom at 19030 Hwy. 10 said he was
assured two years ago he would receive a $40 per diem (the daily allowance
per client).

He's fought for the last seven months to hold the province to that assurance.

His plight was the subject of a Leader article Sunday.

On Tuesday, representatives from the province assured Randhawa the money
was on the way.

"They said, 'we saw your picture in the newspaper,'" Randhawa recalls,
adding the media attention helped. "I think you gave us a push."

Randhawa's predicament began two years ago, when the province introduced
stiff new regulations on how B.C. recovery homes would operate.

It meant more than 30 Surrey recovery house operators had to clear criminal
record checks, provide adequate staffing, appropriate living conditions and
acceptable menus.

It cost Randhawa $50,000 to bring Path to Freedom up to provincial
requirements. To help fund the extra costs, Randhawa was told the ministry
of social development would boost per diem rates to $40 from $16.

However, the province has told Randhawa since July that he wouldn't receive
that funding because there was no more ministry money allocated for the
program.

That changed this week.

A representative from the ministry of social development confirmed Thursday
that Path to Freedom has been awarded the per diem rate. It is only the
second home in Surrey to receive the funding, several others that have been
refused have since shut down.

As it stands, Path to Freedom is also the only recovery house in Surrey to
be granted adequate zoning and a business licence, a process initiated
before the province's clamp down.

Only four other recovery homes in Surrey have applied for rezoning and
business licences.

They include:

- - Cornerstone Manor, with four homes near 100 Ave. and 133 St.

- - Step by Step, at 12442 78A Ave.

- - Safe Haven, at 13572 79A Ave.

As many as nine other recovery homes have yet to apply for municipal licenses.

Surrey staff indicate they will be approaching the operators of those
facilities in the coming weeks to apply for rezoning and city business
licences.

In each case, they will be subject to a public hearing.