Expanding used needle sweeps to areas beyond the Coquitlam homeless shelter will be the goal of a new harm-reduction co-ordinator who was hired with funds from Fraser Health.
Tuesday, RainCity Housing co-executive director Catharine Hume confirmed that the co-ordinator has been hired to, among other duties, oversee sweeps beyond those currently conducted near the shelter, located at 3030 Gordon Ave., and Fox Park, where a child was pricked with a needle last fall.
Some of the patrols will scour popular Coquitlam River trails and other routes are being established for sweeps to make sure used needles aren’t left outdoors.
NEW TASK FORCE
The additional service comes as a Coquitlam task force meets Friday to hear from businesses about their concerns about the two-year-old homeless shelter and transition housing development on city land on Gordon Avenue.
Hume, who said she plans to have staff attend the task force meetings, said she welcomes the opportunity to hear from residents and business about their concerns as well as from other groups.
But while needles are a major concern of task force members, she maintains 3030 Gordon isn’t entirely to blame for the problem.
RainCity's communication manager, Bill Briscoll, said the Purpose Society, under contract with Fraser Health, distributes and collects used needles outside the shelter.
As well, shelter staff and residents have increased their efforts to raise awareness about the importance of safe storage while collection boxes for used needles are located throughout the shelter, Hume told The Tri-City News.
“We take it very seriously, residents and tenants take it seriously but by no means would we even think we are solely responsible for needles in the community,” Hume said, noting that besides harm reduction for drug users, the shelter also promotes recovery with a significant number of residents moving on to detox facilities.
BOX OF NEEDLES FOUND
But despite the shelter’s efforts and regular sweeps in the neighbourhood, used needles being found in trails, streets and parks is still a worry.
Last year, PoCo bylaw officers found a box of needles and, last September, a child was pricked by a used hypodermic needle buried in the gravel at Fox Park and the city wants the issue addressed to ease public fears during the ongoing opioid crisis.
Coun. Laura Dupont told The Tri-City News said she hopes to hear answers when she attends task force meetings as an observer.
“I am concerned that without the capacity to have safe injection sites in our community or something that allows people to use safely, I’m concerned that our parks are being used instead. And I really have concerns about that both for those that need to use drugs as they struggle with their addiction issues. And for the people who want to take their children to parks, I don’t think were doing right by either of them.” Dupont said.
BUSINESS CONCERNS
Coquitlam Coun. Terry O’Neill, a task force member, said he’s also looking forward to Friday's task force meeting and said he has already heard some positive developments, such as a reduction in shelter users loitering outside since RainCity received funding to operate 30 dormitory beds full-time until the end of May instead of just when temperatures drop to freezing; he also said he’s pleased to see efforts to beef up needle sweeps.
But O’Neill said he wants more assurances that people who don’t use drugs are safe if they use the shelter and that local business concerns are being addressed.
“We’ve got a housing crisis and we’ve got a drug crisis," he said. "I support 3030 Gordon and I want to make sure it runs better, but also to make sure the surrounding business is healthy, as well."
