The City of Prince George is applying for $2.5 million in grant money for a host of initiatives targeted at the city's unsheltered homeless population.
On Monday night, city council approved applying to the Union of B.C. Municipalities' Strengthening Communities' Services program. In February, the provincial and federal governments announced $100 million in COVID-19 relief funding for the program.
If successful, the city could use the money to fund 100 per cent of the cost of the pilot project initiatives over a one-year period, city senior manager of strategic initiatives and partnerships Chris Bone said.
"This is really an incredible opportunity. I've never seen an opportunity for $2.5 million to come to the City of Prince George to address these issues," Coun. Murry Krause said. "I like the balance (the city has) struck – some enforcement, some clean up, some social service provision."
The city's proposal includes renovations to the city's new Community Safety Hub downtown to make it a more useful work space, Bone said.
"We're also proposing a (to hire) a full-time, on-site coordinator," she said.
The plan also calls for hiring two outreach workers to be based at the hub. The outreach workers would work alongside the city's bylaw officers based at the hub, and would engage with homeless individuals to connect them with the services they need, she said.
"Many larger communities have outreach workers on staff," she said.
Having outreach workers allows them to focus on connecting with the homeless, while bylaw officers engage in enforcement, she said.
When the city created the downtown safety hub, council approved taking funding that was dedicated to security at civic facilities downtown to hire four new bylaw officers. The city's application, if successful, would seek to replace that funding for security at civic facilities.
"(And) we're seeking funding for enhanced RCMP patrols downtown," Bone said.
Currently the RCMP have one two-officer team that conducts six-hour patrols downtown. The city is looking to use the money to fund a second team, doubling the city's dedicated downtown RCMP presence, she said.
The city is also seeking cash to purchase the Health IM application for RCMP officers, that provides officers with information to help them assist people suffering from mental health problems.
Funding would be used to create a downtown garbage bin area for clean up efforts, and the city would fund extra downtown clean up efforts through the Downtown Clean Team, DART Alley Clean Up program, a daily bio-hazard inspection and clean up, and possibly an employment program for the homeless, Bone said.
The plan also calls for the relocation and expansion of the Prince George Native Friendship Centre's homeless storage service site, Bone said. The city currently operates two such sites, but the plan calls for one to be relocated to a building owned by the native friendship centre.
The proposed new site would include storage, bathrooms, showers and a on-site mental health worker, Bone said, a "one-stop" location offering multiple services.
The grant application would also fund a communication campaign to reach out to the city's homeless population to ask them what they need, she said.
"We don't really do a good job of talking with the unsheltered homeless about their wants and needs," she said.
Mayor Lyn Hall said the city is having to look at new ways to address the social challenges downtown, and throughout the community.
"This is cutting edge stuff, but there is no guarantee it will work," he said.
But the city is dedicated to finding solutions, and will continue to adapt to the challenge, he said.
Coun. Garth Frizzell said it was good to see the provincial and federal governments come to the table with funding to help city's deal with the ongoing issue of homelessness, but it would be better if it was ongoing funding instead of a one-time grant.
"We're going to get the job done," he said. "(But) the system itself needs some serious upgrades."
