CITY HALL WRESTLES WITH RECOVERY HOUSES

A crackdown on the city's recovery houses is long overdue -- and even
if our councillors are not using such terminology for their present
actions, the city's new regulations should accomplish the same thing.

Like every Lower Mainland municipality, Abbotsford is pocked with its
share of unregulated recovery homes. Some do their job, helping
people who have gone through addiction treatment to re-integrate
themselves into society.

Some of these homes are little more than a roof over the heads of
these recovering addicts.

The worst of them are drug dens in their own right, which lure people
struggling to get clean back into the drug culture.

Recovery houses have been often mentioned as a contributor to the
city's crime rate. A whistleblower told The News last year that many
recovery houses exist solely to line the pockets of the property
owner, with no regard for the welfare of their tenants.

They have been a target for council's Crime and Safety Task Force,
headed by Coun. John Smith. The city's new measures were overdue,
although it must be said that councillors tried to address this
issue. Via the Union of B.C. Municipalities they tried to lobby the
provincial government to take charge of this issue. That is truly
where the responsibility should lie.

However with the provincial government abdicating its responsibility,
the city appears to be taking the appropriate actions.

Mandating neighbourhood meetings before a house is allowed should
limit having too many in one neighbourhood. Requiring staff to be
present 24 hours per day will not only provide much-needed support
and supervision, but will also eliminate recovery houses as "easy
money" for the would-be slum lords who view them simply as a business
opportunity.

Banning all alcohol or illicit drugs on these premises, setting a
maximum of 10 residents per house and ensuring proper maintenance of
recovery houses are all sensible regulations.

Recovery houses should not be creating increased crime and more
problems in Abbotsford. They should be a benefit to the community,
and with city hall's welcome involvement they will be.