More than 100 people turned out in Richmond Monday morning for a rally against the B.C. government’s public safety and drug decriminalization policies.
The ‘Keep Richmond Safe’ rally at city hall came just days after the city scrapped plans for a controversial supportive housing facility.
Attendees at Monday’s rally delivered a clear message: they oppose low-barrier housing in their neighbourhoods.
“The low-barrier (housing) is contributing the drug problems that are affecting communities,” Sheldon Starrett with Keep Richmond Safe said.
“Here in Richmond there is already still two low-barrier housing sites and they are causing considerable problems in neighbourhoods where they have been erected.”
Protesters said that while the city has cancelled the planned 90-unit housing project at Cambie and Sexmith roads, they fear the province will resurrect it.
BC Conservative Leader John Rustad, who attended the event with MLAs, said residents are frustrated with the BC NDP government’s approach to drugs, including harm reduction, decriminalization and safe supply.
“We need to get people off of the drugs and get them through rehabilitation but more importantly they need that support ongoing to stay clean,” he said.
“It is not working. Safe supply has been a complete failure.”
The provincial government was forced to walk back major components of its decriminalization pilot project last April amid a wave of public concern over public drug use. Its safe supply program has faced renewed scrutiny after a leaked Health Ministry document revealed it was investigating the diversion of a “significant portion” of prescribed opioids.
Richmond city council pulled the plug on the supportive housing project citing strong local opposition.
B.C. Housing Minister Ravi Kahlon, who backed the project, expressed disappointment with its cancellation, saying housing of this type is critical to reducing street homelessness.
“It’s disappointing because by 2027 we have two temporary sites that will have leases expiring, and that means we’re going to have 90 people that potentially could be sleeping in encampments or sleeping in front of businesses in the community,” he told Global News on Thursday.
He added the province had ensured there would be no supervised drug consumption site on the property, and that there would be cameras and added security.