NOT RIGHT FACILITY FOR KELOWNA, SAYS ST. PAUL GROUP

The St. Paul Business Committee has expanded its opposition to a
transitional housing complex to treat drug and alcohol addicted
patients of Interior Health.

The group now says the model being proposed, harm reduction, is wrong
not only for downtown Kelowna but for the entire city.

"Our first reaction was we don't want this downtown," said Jim Carta
, the chairman of the St. Paul Business Committee. "But we don't want
this in the city. This is not going to benefit people. At best it's a Band Aid.

"We don't believe this is the right facility for Kelowna."

The facility, a planned 30-unit apartment style complex, would
provide counseling services and housing to people facing drug or
alcohol addiction problems and mental health issues.

Run by the Interior HealthAuthority, the unit would require residents
to be enrolled in counseling services before being offered housing,
according to Ira Roness, IHA senior manager for alcohol and drug services.

"This is a matter of people needing to look at the objectives of what
we are trying to do," said Roness.

"We're trying to improve the health of individuals and decrease the
harms that people are encountering, whether that be mental health or
drugs and alcohol.

"We know their health will improve if we give them housing and if we
give them support and the counseling they require."

But that model of harm reduction is what has parts of the community up in arms.

The St. Paul Business Committee says it has 85 businesses officially
supporting them as well as hundreds more unofficially.

They are calling for a new plan to deal with the drug and alcohol
problem in downtown Kelowna.

"There is a need for a master plan for the Gospel Mission and for
Leon Street and for the downtown core itself," said committee member
Mel Kotler.

"There is none that makes any sense right now. If the problem is drug
addiction then we need to separate them from where the drugs are."

The committee also says the apartment-style complex will be a magnet
for the criminally transient population looking to take advantage of
the residents.

The IHA disagrees.

"We're not looking at a segment of the population who is going to
actively attract a negative element," said Roness.

"We are talking about people who are still experiencing some issues.
We are not just opening the door to let anyone in. We are firm on the
research we have and the model that we are going to use.

"It's quite straightforward. Housing is effective. Support services
is effective.

"It improves health which improves a community."

The St. Paul Business Committee is presenting an information night on
Tuesday for residents to present the research it has compiled on harm
reduction and alternatives to the transitional housing plan. That
meeting is Tuesday at 6 p.m. at The Grand. You can also go to
www.welcometokelowna.com/stpaul.

For information from Interior Health on the project go to
www.kelowna.ca and scroll to Service Delivery Model.