Housing, Homelessness & Public Safety

The tools to make progress on housing and homelessness already exist. Other BC cities have used them. What has been missing in Nanaimo is pace, and a willingness to say yes when proposals arrive.

Main points

• Build housing on land the City already owns. Lease the land, fast-track the permits, and use the provincial funding that is already on the table.
• Spread services out. Clustering every homeless service downtown has failed residents and service users alike. Scattered sites work better.
• Say yes to housing and healthcare proposals. The 2025 vote that killed a health centre serving 2,700 people without a family doctor should not have happened.
• Protect funding for the RCMP and Community Safety Officers. Stable funding for the people who actually respond to street-level problems. No cuts.
• Make the numbers public. The City and its partners already collect data on safety, housing, and downtown conditions. Residents should be able to see it.

Policy detail

Expanded policy detail for this pillar is forthcoming. Check back for a fuller discussion of lease structures, service site criteria, and the evidence base from other BC jurisdictions.