Homelessness, Addiction & Mental Illness: A Call to Action for British Columbia

Very high quality research shows the most effective ways to end street homelessness. This research includes head to head comparisons of housing people together in single buildings versus in scattered settings. Results show that scattered housing is strongly preferred by people who need help and is better for communities. Although both approaches cost the same, only scattered housing causes reductions in crime and medical emergencies. The attached plan describes how BC can effectively help people who are stuck in homelessness. The plan was submitted to Ministers Eby and Malcolmson in July 2021 and elicited no response. The evidence used to select COVID vaccines came from randomized controlled trials (RCTs). By contrast, evidence from Canadian RCTs addressing homelessness is being ignored. 

We ask why, and for how much longer?