Port Coquitlam will continue to pay for a part of the salary for the Tri-Cities Homelessness and Housing Task Group co-ordinator.
Tuesday, committee of council voted to fund the city’s $4,100 portion to keep the job, sharing the costs with Coquitlam ($10,674) and Port Moody ($2,564) based on the Simon Fraser formula for population.
The task force, which asked for the same amount last year for the position, is a driver in reducing homelessness in the region; last year, Sandy Burpee and Bill Briscall retired as volunteer co-chairs and were replaced by a part-time paid co-ordinator.
The group recently updated its strategic plan to identify needs, housing, relationship building and education, among other things.
Of PoCo’s five full-time bylaw officers, two are dedicated to homelessness challenges. It’s an allocation that’s “not sustainable in the long term,” bylaw manager Paula Jones told committee in council at its May 7 meeting.
The committee also heard from Annika Polegato and Melissa Teboekhorst of Alouette Addictions about its stint working with PoCo bylaw this spring; that Maple Ridge-based agency was able to find shelter for three people and make 77 referrals for service, Teboekhorst said.
