Weapons and violence inside supportive housing buildings a concern for providers

Katie DeRosa · CBC News

· Posted: May 08, 2025 8:38 PM EDT | Last Updated: 1 infinitesimal ago

A radical of non-profit lodging providers is raising the alarm astir unit and weapons wrong supportive lodging buildings — and they accidental removing those buildings from the Residential Tenancy Act would assistance support unit and residents safe. 

However, B.C.'s lodging curate says that's not going to happen. And 1 tenants' rights radical says much staff, not less rights for susceptible residents, is the answer. 

The lodging providers went nationalist with their concerns Thursday, saying the breaking constituent was a suspected homicide astatine 1 supportive lodging gathering successful Victoria past month. 

"Situations similar this marque communities fearfulness and reason supportive housing, and it does not person to beryllium this way," said Carolina Ibarra, CEO of Victoria-based Pacifica Housing.

The non-profit lodging bureau was overseeing the Waterview supportive lodging gathering wherever a 34-year-old antheral was recovered dormant aft a occurrence — a decease being investigated by Victoria constabulary arsenic a suspected homicide. 

Ibarra says adjacent though residents are not allowed to person weapons successful supportive lodging buildings, often unit members' "hands are tied" due to the fact that they're not allowed to participate someone's portion and confiscate items. The Residential Tenancy Act besides prohibits lodging providers from instantly evicting idiosyncratic if a limb is recovered successful their room. 

Micheal Vonn, CEO of PHS Community Services Society, which oversees 1,700 units of supportive lodging successful Vancouver and Victoria, says arsenic it stands now, "we person nary much rights than an mean landlord. And we person infinitely much work than an mean landlord."

"What different leader has to spell to the Residential Tenancy Branch erstwhile determination are weapons oregon unit successful their workplaces, to hold weeks, months, oregon possibly never, to get that menace removed?" 

Some supportive lodging buildings crossed the state person been a root of interest for radical who unrecorded successful the area, who person complained astir unfastened cause use, transgression and societal disorder. 

One Victoria-based tenants advocate, however, says removing rental protections would enactment residents astatine hazard of ending up backmost connected the street.

"Taking distant the rights of everybody successful these buildings is not the answer," said Douglas King, enforcement manager of Together Against Poverty Victoria. 

He says an eviction from supportive lodging "is efficaciously an eviction into homelessness."

Both King and the non-profit lodging providers are calling connected B.C. Housing to summation backing for the groups that tally these buildings, truthful they tin prosecute the unit needed to amended safety. 

Ibarra says astatine the gathering wherever the suspected homicide happened, determination were conscionable 2 unit members for 49 people. 

He says determination are nary contiguous plans to region them from the Residential Tenancy Act. Kahlon says changes were made past twelvemonth by the state to guarantee lodging providers tin participate someone's country connected a regular ground to do wellness checks. 

"If determination are much changes that are needed, we're ever unfastened to it arsenic agelong arsenic it's astir safety," Kahlon said. "But we besides privation to guarantee that these are quality beings and they person immoderate basal level of rights, truthful they're not being abused arsenic well. And we're trying to find that balance."

Kahlon has tasked a moving radical of constabulary and lodging providers to look into however to amended information and support weapons retired of those buildings.