The Port Alberni shelter, Our Home on Eighth, has come under scrutiny in the last couple of years, and BC Housing has decided it’s time for a change.
While the shelter won’t be going anywhere, there will be a change in management.
While some area residents played a big part in calling for this shift, the announcement shocked the Port Alberni Shelter Society (PASS) when they were told about the change on December 30. PASS has operated the shelter since it first opened in 2018.
PASS board chair Myron Jespersen stated in a letter to about 50 shelter staff that they will try and appeal the decision “through any channels available.” But it seems the decision to change management has already been made.
“We have developed a culture of service and caring that we should be proud of,” said Jespersen. “We are concerned that a new operator may not maintain that culture or level of service, and we do not know of any reason to make a change at this time.”
But PASS’s culture has been at odds with that of nearby housed residents, and the attention they’ve drawn to the “chaos” they’ve been experiencing clearly made it to the ears of BC Housing executives.
As usual, the voices of the housed are louder and more potent than their unhoused neighbours.
In a statement provided to Alberni Valley News, a BC Housing spokesperson stated the decision was based on their duty to create a safe environment for everyone in the area.
“BC Housing has a duty to shelter guests and supportive housing residents, as well as the community of Port Alberni, to ensure shelters and supportive housing are appropriately operated and that residents and staff are safe and supported.”
Did anyone ask the shelter residents what they wanted? Who would they like to operate the place where they try to live safely?
BC Housing says over the next three months; they will find a new operator and facilitate a “seamless transition” for front-line staff and residents.
However, Jespersen said, “We feel that this decision…and the manner in which they have announced this change, does not consider the best interests of our clients, residents and staff.”
The shelter is home to 30 people and provides supportive housing for another 30 individuals.
“We have, over the years, developed relationships with residents,” Jespersen told CBC News. “We don’t think that that’s something you can just flip a switch and hand over to someone else.”
Shouldn’t this be the primary concern here?
It takes a long time to build trusting relationships with people—especially those who are used to getting screwed over by the government.
Once again, the community’s most vulnerable residents–and their needs–are lost in this power struggle between housed residents, a non-profit organization, and the province.
We need more creative solutions that uphold the dignity and worth of folks doing their best to survive and thrive.
PASS’s contract to run the shelter will end on March 31.
