It is my understanding that three or four years ago the Canadian Mental Health Association put in a proposal to BC Housing to provide affordable housing in Nelson for seniors struggling with mental health and/or addictions issues and required some assistance.
The federal government was to be the largest financial contributor.
The mandate has now changed to provide housing for seniors and persons with disabilities who are able to live independently and direct their own services.
We, as a civilized peoples, have once again let down another group of the most vulnerable in our society by not providing decent housing to seniors desperately struggling to survive while living with mental illness and/or alcohol or drug addictions (including prescription drugs).
Mentally ill seniors will always be living amongst us… requiring the basic need of decent housing and assistance.
So do we, as a civilized society, continue to add to their misery by housing them in hovels (or jails) in which none of us would care to spend an hour, nevermind years and years?
Or do we provide them with decent housing (as the Anderson Street housing project would have done) with some assistance offered?
Our society seems to treat dogs better than fellow human beings.
Evelyn Kristiansen
Six Mile