ASK Wellness calls for new model of complex care housing

KAMLOOPS — About one-in-eight of Kamloops supportive housing clients were evicted due to unmanageable behaviours.

Kamloops Supportive Housing Clients Outcome Data stated while 79 per cent (221 of 278) of people who are experiencing, or at risk of, homelessness remained housed, 12 per cent (34) couldn’t stay.

Of the 34 exits, the most common factor was a combination of mental health and substance use (16), followed by substance use alone (eight), criminality (six), and mental health alone (four).

Kamloops has four 24/7 staffed supportive housing facilities – 204 units – funded by BC Housing and operated by non-profit organizations. Three are ran under ASK Wellness (Spero House, Mission Flats Manor and Crossroads) and the fourth, Rosethorn Place, is run by the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA).

While the current model of supportive housing has been successful for most of its residents, ASK Wellness said it’s not effective due to the acuity of the 12 per cent’s mental health and addiction issues. The agency said it shows the need for a new model of complex care housing that is not yet available in Kamloops.

“This model of supportive housing is a relatively new approach to homelessness in our province,” ASK Wellness Society CEO Bob Hughes said. “This initial effort to review housing and shelter programs in Kamloops speaks to the desire of operators like ASK Wellness Society, CMHA (Kamloops), and the Mustard Seed to find out what is working and where the gaps remain.”

Jeremy Heighton, Kamloops North Shore Business Improvement Association executive director, said access to complex care service is a critical missing component of Kamloops’ current health response system.

“Housing and care program providers have been, and remain, a critical ally and asset our communities rely on daily,” Heighton said. “These skilled and often under-resourced service professionals are challenged to achieve robust health outcomes for their clients, while managing the critical interface with the community, without an effective complex care toolkit. As a business association, we have been advocating for the last two years to embrace a more robust treatment system.”

ASK Wellness Society hopes future efforts by the City of Kamloops, BC Housing, the Interior Health Authority, and local and provincial stakeholders can focus on developing alternative forms of housing to work with the 12 per cent in a way that aids them to get the support.