HOUSING PROPOSED FOR INJECTION SITE

The people behind Vancouver's controversial safe-injection site now
want to provide drug addicts with housing in the same building.

A proposal going before council this week would see the two floors
above Insite converted into 30 small rooms. Residents would be given
nursing care, detox support and help to find longer-term housing.

Like Insite, Vancouver Coastal Health and the PHS Society, a
non-profit housing society, will administer the plan, which has been
given the Onsite moniker.

For Dr. David Marsh, VCH's physician leader for addiction medicine,
the facility will provide a transition for people waiting for either
detox or treatment programs, or for people on the long waitlist for
supportive social housing.

"I don't think this will address the housing need," Marsh said in an
interview. "But these are transitional beds. So the success will
depend on how quickly we can get them through to more permanent housing."

Vancouver's stock of Special Needs Residential Facilities has
actually fallen in the last quarter decade: Just over 5,092 now
compared to 5,354 in 1982. On the other hand, the city's homeless and
at-risk population has jumped dramatically.

But it's hoped 20 rent subsidy grants still being negotiated for the
site will prevent any bottlenecks from happening at Onsite.