Weapons and violence inside supportive housing buildings a concern for providers

A group of non-profit housing providers is raising the alarm about violence and weapons inside supportive housing buildings — and they say removing those buildings from the Residential Tenancy Act would help keep staff and residents safe. 

However, B.C.'s housing minister says that's not going to happen. And one tenants' rights group says more staff, not fewer rights for vulnerable residents, is the answer. 

The housing providers went public with their concerns Thursday, saying the breaking point was a suspected homicide at one supportive housing building in Victoria last month. 

"Situations like this make communities fear and oppose supportive housing, and it does not have to be this way," said Carolina Ibarra, CEO of Victoria-based Pacifica Housing.

The non-profit housing agency was overseeing the Waterview supportive housing building where a 34-year-old man was found dead after a fire — a death being investigated by Victoria police as a suspected homicide. 

WATCH | Some housing providers want changes to tenant rights: 

Providers raise alarm about weapons, violence inside supportive housing

1 day ago

Duration 1:50

A group of housing providers says they can't easily enter rooms to confiscate weapons or evict tenants when weapons are found due to protections in the Residential Tenancy Act. As Katie DeRosa reports, they say removing the buildings from the Act would help keep staff and residents safe, but the province says while it's open to changes to the Act, it won't agree to that.

Ibarra says even though residents are not allowed to have weapons in supportive housing buildings, often staff members' "hands are tied" because they're not allowed to enter someone's unit and confiscate items. The Residential Tenancy Act also prohibits housing providers from immediately evicting someone if a weapon is found in their room. 

"We have been sounding the alarm about issues at the site for some time, and specifically about the growing concern around weapons and our inability to remove weapons from the site and people who pose a safety risk to our staff and our residents," Ibarra said. 

Micheal Vonn, CEO of PHS Community Services Society, which oversees 1,700 units of supportive housing in Vancouver and Victoria, says as it stands now, "we have no more rights than an average landlord. And we have infinitely more responsibility than an average landlord."

"What other employer has to go to the Residential Tenancy Branch when there are weapons or violence in their workplaces, to wait weeks, months, or maybe never, to get that threat removed?" 

The housing providers have formed an advocacy group called the Coalition for Safe and Sustainable Supportive Housing. 

Supportive housing buildings, which provide housing to people who have struggled with homelessness, addiction or mental health challenges, are funded by B.C. Housing and operated by non-profit housing providers. 

Some supportive housing buildings across the province have been a source of concern for people who live in the area, who have complained about open drug use, crime and social disorder. 

WATCH | Nanaimo supportive housing receiving some resident pushback:

Proposed location for Nanaimo supportive housing divides residents

2 days ago

Duration 2:00

In Nanaimo, a push to address housing has led to a boom in supportive housing being built. But some residents say these spaces have been unfairly concentrated in the south end of the city. As CBC’s Claire Palmer reports, the city is hoping to address that.

One Victoria-based tenants advocate, however, says removing rental protections would put residents at risk of ending up back on the street.

"Taking away the rights of everybody in these buildings is not the answer," said Douglas King, executive director of Together Against Poverty Victoria. 

He says an eviction from supportive housing "is effectively an eviction into homelessness."

Both King and the non-profit housing providers are calling on B.C. Housing to increase funding for the groups that run these buildings, so they can hire the staff needed to improve safety. 

Ibarra says at the building where the suspected homicide happened, there were just two staff members for 49 people. 

He says there are no immediate plans to remove them from the Residential Tenancy Act. Kahlon says changes were made last year by the province to ensure housing providers can enter someone's room on a regular basis to do wellness checks. 

"If there are more changes that are needed, we're always open to it as long as it's about safety," Kahlon said. "But we also want to ensure that these are human beings and they have some basic level of rights, so they're not being abused as well. And we're trying to find that balance."

Kahlon has tasked a working group of police and housing providers to look into how to improve safety and keep weapons out of those buildings.