Public Statements - New Westminster Homelessness Coalition Society

The need for an inhalation overdose prevention site in New Westminster

Date: February 24, 2025

Re: The need for an inhalation overdose prevention site in New Westminster

On Behalf of The New Westminster Homelessness Coalition Society

The drug toxicity crisis in New Westminster, and across British Columbia, has presented new dangers to the safety of substance users in the form of a drastic increase in overdose events related to the smoking and inhalation of opioid drugs. In fact, 65% of all overdose deaths in 2023 involved smoking drugs, compared to just 15% that involved injection. Consequently, the effectiveness of harm reduction approaches like overdose prevention sites relies on the provision of sites that allow substance users to more safely engage in inhalation substance use.

Such sites already exist in other local jurisdictions, including Vancouver and Surrey. These programs demonstrate that steps can be taken to ensure that both staff and service users are safe at these sites, through adequate ventilation and other safety precautions.

It is important to consider that this is a public health emergency that we are responding to, and that failing to act to mitigate this public health emergency has consequences not only for substance users, but for other community members as well. The alternative to an inhalation site in New Westminster is to have inhalation drug use happen in public spaces, like in the vicinity of local businesses, where both the substance user and other community members are put at greater risk. The failure to provide this service will also burden city staff, police, EMS and hospital resources, that could be better utilized to serve other community needs. The cost and resource savings to these services as a result of creating an inhalation site will far exceed the cost of creating and running such a site.

If this were any other public health concern, and the City was being asked to facilitate the provision of healthcare services to residents in the community in which they live, there would be no question about whether it was in everyone’s best interests to have that service located where it is needed. Additionally, given the nature of substance use and addiction, the expectation that substance users will commute to other jurisdictions to access these services is neither realistic nor responsible. Ultimately, the provision of an inhalation safe consumption site in New Westminster is not only a question of doing what is right to ensure the safety and wellbeing of all residents of the city, but also a simple matter of common sense and pragmatism in the midst of a public health crisis.

We strongly urge the City of New Westminster to execute a plan to establish an inhalation overdose prevention site in the City of New Westminster as quickly and efficiently as possible. A failure to do so will cost lives and endanger our community.

Sincerely,
The New Westminster Homelessness Coalition Society

For more information on understanding homelessness, and efforts to address the needs of the unhoused population, please visit the New Westminster Homelessness Coalition’s website: https://nwhomeless.ca/

If you would like to join us in advocating for this and/or other causes related to the needs of the unhoused and precariously housed population in New Westminster, please consider joining our new Advocacy Network, but emailing us at: newwesthcs@gmail.com

NWHCS Board Chair Jack York addressed City Council on February 24th regarding this issue. Read about it in the New West Record.

A public statement on behalf of the New Westminster Homelessness Coalition Society

Date: October 7, 2024

Re: On the occasion of the Proclamation of October 12 – 18 as Homelessness Action Week (HAW) in New Westminster by Mayor Patrick Johnstone

On behalf of the New Westminster Homelessness Coalition Society, I am honoured to express our sincere thanks to Mayor Johnstone and New Westminster City Councillors for releasing this proclamation to mark Homelessness Action Week 2024.

Homelessness Action Week is our opportunity to bring the experience of the unhoused population into focus, to raise public awareness, and to challenge stigma.

People who are unhoused are often the target of stigma or negative and inaccurate beliefs about them. The judgment and discrimination unhoused people often face as a result of this stigma compound the struggles they already experience in trying to get their basic needs met.

The truth is, there are many reasons why people become unhoused, including unaffordable and inaccessible housing, poverty, disability, mental health and substance use challenges, trauma, and discrimination—whether because they are Indigenous, or because of their race, gender, or any number of other, sometimes intersecting, aspects of their identity.

There are many organizations, filled with dedicated individuals, who work each day to address the needs of the unhoused population, including the underlying reasons why people become unhoused, and to mitigate risks to their wellbeing and survival, including the toxic drug supply. Their commitment to doing this difficult work not only addresses the needs of the unhoused population but also contributes to the safety and well-being of all residents of New Westminster.

That said, there is much more work to be done. The ever-worsening housing crisis, combined with an increasingly toxic drug supply, makes this work as challenging as ever. The answer to these problems is not to challenge and ridicule the dedicated people working hard to address these concerns, as we have increasingly seen from many different sources on social media and even from people in positions of power and authority. Rather, we should be focused on empowering these organizations with the resources they need to expand and enhance their work, and thereby better address the needs of our most vulnerable community members.

Recent efforts to expand outreach to unhoused communities on the part of the City of New Westminster, as part of a new crisis response project, and their efforts to expand access to accessible housing options in the city, are commendable and constitute an important start to doing this work. However, we challenge the city, and indeed all levels of government, to take more bold action to address the needs of the unhoused population in this city and across the Lower Mainland.

Examples of short-term steps that could be taken include making the Purpose Nightly Shelter available 24/7 so that residents are not forced to leave during the day, thereby decreasing the likelihood of negative encounters with community members and local businesses when residents lack a place to go. Another short-term action could be the establishment of a resource centre to connect unhoused people with services and support.

Longer-term options that would make a difference include a meaningful investment in accessible and supported housing options for people in the city and expanded access to flexible substance use and mental health treatment options. The government could also further expand access to harm reduction and a safer supply of drugs, rather than leaving people to rely on a toxic drug supply while subsidizing organized crime, which profits from providing this deadly supply.

The answer to making our community a safer place is not to pull back on services or stigmatize and misrepresent unhoused people. It is to redouble our efforts, to be more innovative and bold, and to be led by compassion and a commitment to doing the work that will actually make a difference.

Homelessness Action Week is an opportunity to come together as a city, to inform, educate, and learn about homelessness, its causes, and its potential solutions; to identify and challenge misconceptions about, and stigma toward, those community members who are unhoused; to connect with and welcome everyone in our community; and to reflect on and celebrate the values of inclusion, equity, community, and compassion that form our identity as a city and make New Westminster the exceptional place it is.

We encourage each of you to take a moment and explore the schedule of events for Homelessness Action Week at nwhomeless.ca. Together, let’s show up, get involved, and be part of the change our community needs. Every action counts, and your presence matters.

With sincere appreciation,
The New Westminster Homelessness Coalition Society

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Receiving the HAW Proclamation at City Council. Left to right : NWHCS Board member Jack York, City of New Westminster Mayor Patrick Johnstone, and NWHCS Board member Heather Lynch.

A public statement on behalf of the New Westminster Homelessness Coalition

Date: September 13, 2024

Re: Criticism levelled by New Westminster City Councilor Minhas regarding the Purpose Nightly Shelter and the misconceptions these comments perpetuate about homelessness and meaningful solutions to address it.

Recent criticism on the part of councilor Paul Minhas of the Purpose Nightly Shelter in New Westminster, in which he questioned the installation of a fence at the shelter, and more broadly criticized efforts to address the needs of the unhoused population in the city, reinforce dangerous and inaccurate misconceptions about homelessness. The fence in question was installed as way to keep residents and staff at the shelter safe from predatory behaviour targeting the unhoused population, and was designed to support the well-being of the residents using this shelter, not to stigmatize them. The Lower Mainland Purpose Society manages this shelter, and provides many other services to address the needs of the unhoused population in this city and the toxic drug crisis. Their commitment to doing this difficult work, much like the work of other non-profits in the city, not only addresses the needs of the unhoused population, but also contributes to the safety and well-being of all residents of New Westminster.

That said, there is much more work to be done. The ever-worsening housing crisis, combined with an ever more toxic drug supply, make this work as challenging as ever. The answer to these problems is not to challenge and ridicule the dedicated people working hard to address these concerns. Rather, we should be focused on empowering these organizations with the resources they need to expand and enhance their work, and thereby to better address the needs of our most vulnerable community members.

Recent efforts to expand outreach to unhoused communities on the part of the City of New Westminster, as part of a new crisis response project, and their efforts to expand access to accessible housing options in the city, are commendable. However, we challenge the city, and indeed all levels of government, to take more bold action to address the needs of the unhoused population in this city and across the lower mainland.

One short term option for what could be done include steps like making the Purpose Nightly Shelter 24/7, so that residents are not forced to leave the shelter during the day, thereby decreasing the likelihood of negative encounters with community members and local businesses when residents lack a place to go. Another short term action could be the establishment of a resource centre to connect unhoused people with service and support.

Longer term options could include a meaningful investment in accessible and supported housing options for people in the city and expanded access to flexible substance use and mental health treatment options. The government could also further expand access to harm reduction and a safer supply of drugs, rather than leaving people to rely on a toxic drug supply while subsidizing organized crime, who profit from providing people with this supply.

The answer to making our community a safer place is not to pull back on services and to stigmatize and misrepresent unhoused people, it is to redouble our efforts, to be more innovative and bold, and to be led by compassion and a commitment to doing what works, rather than politically expedient rhetoric that does nothing to address the underlying issues facing our city.