ADDICTIONS PLAGUE PEOPLE ON THE STREET

But Housing And Treatment Can Help Turn Lives Around, Experts Say

A couple of decades ago Victoria's biggest problem with addicted,
homeless people was the Apple Tree Gang, a small group of aging
alcoholics who hung around under a tree by the Johnson Street Bridge.

Today, evidence of addiction -- discarded needles, slumped bodies,
vomit and empty bottles -- is more visible and widespread. The number
of homeless people has swelled and, increasingly, they have multiple
disorders.

Although there is increasing use of substances like crack cocaine and
crystal meth, alcohol remains the drug of choice.

"And it is still an incredibly devastating drug," said Kelly Reid,
manager for residential services at Vancouver Island Health Authority.

Those lucky enough to get a detox bed often return to the streets and
old habits because of a lack of long-term housing where they could get
consistent help.

"It takes so long to get people into detox and then even the ones that
get in have no supports when they come out," said John Crean, housing
manager of the Victoria Cool Aid Society.

Each year, Louise Hill watches about 1,700 new clients walk through
the doors of the addictions outpatient clinic on Quadra Street.

Some have decided they need help, some have been frightened into
seeking help by doctors or mental-health workers and some are ordered
by the court to attend.

"The process of recovery can take many years for some people. It
depends how much damage has been done," said Hill, VIHA's co-ordinator
of adult addictions and community treatment.

Because of the shortage of supportive housing and residential programs
on Vancouver Island, people are sent to Vancouver or Ontario or
private centres such as the Cedars in Cobble Hill.

"Not everyone needs to have residential treatment. A good place to
start is the outpatient clinic," she said.

Outpatient programs range from helping people investigate whether they
have a problem, to a five-day abstinence program, as well as support
and maintenance groups.

VIHA is also developing an innovative "daytox" program for people
withdrawing from alcohol or stimulants such as cocaine or
methamphetamine.

One of the greatest needs is housing, Hill said. "When you see the
effect on people of getting into stable housing, the change in their
lives is huge."

Studies in other cities have estimated that two-thirds of people
living on the streets are addicted to drugs or alcohol; many of those
are also mentally ill. In Greater Victoria, that translates into
around 600 homeless people trying to cope with drugs or booze.

"The longer you are on the street with a mental illness, the
likelihood of getting involved in addiction skyrockets," said Don
McTavish, Cool Aid manager of shelters.

"The drugs are getting harsher. Crack cocaine is very popular, even
more than crystal meth," he said.

"Now you have these roving groups that wash up on various corners
around town. Police like to call them a tribe. We think of them as a
group of like-minded people."

Agencies in Victoria, accustomed to dealing with the hard-to-house
group, are now coping with a new category known as the
impossible-to-house.

The spectre of drug parties, trashed apartments, missed rent payments
and complaints from other residents discourages most landlords from
renting to those with obvious addiction problems.

Also, some addicts prefer the freedom of couch-surfing or sleeping
outdoors to the rules in shelters and supported housing.

In an attempt not to shut out the most needy, shelters no longer have
rigid rules about barring people with beer on their breath.

Cool Aid runs damp shelters, that allows people in if they are high or
have been drinking, as long as they don't use after they are in.
Rule-breakers are barred for two weeks.

And that's another conundrum. If someone is barred from Streetlink, it
is likely their behaviour has barred them from other services, such as
Our Place and the Salvation Army.

"It means the group with the most difficulties is banned from all
services," said McTavish.

Victoria Mayor Alan Lowe and Victoria police support a supervised
injection site as one way to help addicts, but the federal government,
which must allow an exemption for the illegal drug use, is not
sympathetic.

The Conservatives will decide at year's end whether to allow
supervised injection sites in Vancouver, open on a trial basis, to
continue.