Photo: Castanet Staff

Weeks after an independent review of Penticton’s supportive housing was published, a Kamloops councillor has introduced a motion to request a similar report for the Tournament Capital.

Coun. Bill Sarai said when he read the review — which was requested by Penticton’s council last year — he felt the gaps identified in the report are similar to what he sees in Kamloops.

“That's where the gaps are, in the shelters and in the housing units. The people that are in desperate need of mental health and addiction resources, there's nothing there for them,” Sarai said.

Sarai’s motion, if approved, would have council request a meeting with the attorney general and provincial minister for housing, and the ministers for health, mental health and addiction.

The motion states council would then “request a review of the existing housing, health and mental health and addiction services in Kamloops to clearly identify any service gaps.”

Then, the motion states the city would request a commitment from the province to act collaboratively to develop resources and implement a plan to address identified needs.

Sarai said last spring, a review into the spectrum of housing available in Kamloops and the success rates for residents who need supports was requested. However, he said he felt the documents received back from BC Housing weren't thorough.

“It was very vague, and didn't cover a lot of issues that we were concerned with,” Sarai said, adding he was then advised to wait and see what Penticton’s review would cover.

“It came up a year later, and it's quite intense and it's different. And it shows almost identical gaps that we have here, but our review didn’t go deep into it.”

Sarai said he’s aware of the current healthcare staffing challenges in Kamloops, but noted the Penticton report showed when nurses are available at supportive housing sites, residents’ frequency of visits to the hospital and the length of hospital stays are reduced.

In addition to his motion, Sarai said provincial ministers will be available at the Union of B.C. Municipalities conference in September to address questions related to these matters.

He said he wants to request an update on the Kamloops community court proposal currently before the province.

In April, businessman and mayoral candidate Reid Hamer-Jackson publicly called for a review of supportive housing sites in Kamloops. At the time, Hamer-Jackson said he hoped a review would result in more recovery beds established in the city and reduced overdose deaths.

Sarai’s motion will be discussed by city council on Tuesday, June 14.