Cranbrook’s bylaw services, the Social Development Coordinator and RCMP have worked with residents who are living rough through the winter months.
City officials said this work includes weekly site visits to clean, ensure compliance, complete wellness checks, provide connection to services, and build relationships.
This work will continue as the weather warms up.
City officials said Cranbrook saw a considerable decline in the number of unhoused people amid the winter weather.
However, that may change in the coming months.
“It is predicted that as the weather warms, persons living in precarious and unsafe housing situations will return to temporary shelters, like tents, and the number of visibly homeless will rapidly increase,” said city staff.
City staff said the issue is an example of problems in the housing supply.
“Outdoor sheltering sites are a physical manifestation of the breakdown of one of many factors affecting the housing continuum in Cranbrook,” said city officials “Over the past few years, the community has lost a significant number of low-barrier and low-income rental options. This has left a significant gap in housing options and exacerbated the local housing crisis.”
The city is continuing its collaborative efforts between agencies and organizations is ongoing to provide support for unhoused people.
“New and innovative initiatives to monitor and maintain these sites, in collaboration with other social agencies in town, will build safety and accountability and will help address secondary issues related to poverty such as crime mental health and drug abuse, will increase community safety and well-being, and will continue to make Cranbrook a trailblazer in managing very complex issues in a positive way,” said city staff.