OFFERING A FUTURE WITH HOPE

Illegal drugs and lack of affordable housing are high on the list of
Salmon Arm's current problems.

Working in concert with Kamloops New Life Mission, one of our local
churches is examining the possibility of buying Rotary Village and
providing low-cost housing with a few units devoted to transitional
accommodation.

Like its counterpart Rotary Gardens, it appears a few drug-dealing
tenants are making life miserable for the majority of long-time,
law-abiding residents. The residents have many complaints and have
expressed them in letters to management. But, they are afraid to
speak publicly.

While Rotary, to their credit, has tried to deal with the issue,
tenancy legislation under which they operate can make the process of
evicting someone lengthy and difficult.

Living Waters' goal is to improve life at Rotary Village and make it
a safer neighbourhood for everyone.

And they will move ahead slowly, through the proper channels and with
the guidance of a well-established group that has set up a number of
facilities and programs in Kamloops - with such success they have won
provincial best-practices awards and funding.

Before they begin, members of the Living Waters Housing Society
intend to meet with village residents and interested neighbours to
share their vision.

One of the aspects of this vision is to provide transitional housing
to recovering addicts while they work towards becoming "contributing citizens."

This was one of the top needs voiced at a meeting on addictions
Interior Health Authority recently hosted in Salmon Arm. One young
woman, a full year into recovery, said without safe housing, she
would have gone back to drugs. She now faces her future with hope.
Can we not offer that hope to others too?

To be accepted in Living Waters' transitional housing program, a
person will have been clean for 90 days or more, will have gone
through detox and recovery programs and will have expressed the
desire to move ahead with their recovery.

This opportunity will be provided with support and supervision. This
will be a drug-free zone. Abstinence will be the operative word. The
comfort and security of all tenants will be the priority.

Does that not make more sense than a neighbourhood where intimidating
drug dealers openly ply their trade?