The B.C. Urban Mayors' Caucus continues to call on the provincial government to act more urgently on complex needs across B.C.

(CARLI BERRY / iNFOnews.ca)

Mayors representing more than half of British Columbians are renewing their pleas for the province to take urgent action on complex care for vulnerable people in each city.

The non-partisan B.C. Urban Mayors' Caucus has released a video to renew their calls for the province to mobilize in months rather than years, according to a news release.

The Urban Mayors' Caucus, co-chaired by Kelowna mayor Colin Basran and Victoria mayor Lisa Helps, was formed in the summer of 2020 with 13 mayors across B.C.

Kamloops mayor Ken Christian joins Basran as the only other representative from the Thompson-Okanagan region.

READ MORE: Kelowna city council blames market, not its policies for housing unaffordability

The mayors represent more than 55% of the B.C. population and have been in conversations with various provincial ministries to advocate for appropriate housing and supports for people with complex needs, the caucus said.

“Together each of our communities are on the frontlines experiencing the same impact of gaps in the health, housing and justice system,” Basran said in the release. “Our most vulnerable are falling through the cracks. Municipalities have invested in supportive housing, funded more police and bylaw officers and created policies to increase inclusion in our communities and yet more needs to be done and for that we need the Province’s support.”

READ MORE: iN VIDEO: Anti-maskers arrested, fined at Kamloops Superstore

People the mayors caucus say need more complex support include those with "overlapping" mental health, substance use, trauma and brain injuries, who are often experiencing homelessness.

Those vulnerable people do not fit the current supportive housing models, long-term health-care systems or the justice system, the caucus said.

“We know the province is acting on a complex care housing framework, and we appreciate that we were invited to participate in the early formative conversations as the province developed the model of care. We are hopeful that the provincial government will make an announcement soon,” Helps said in the release. “We can’t stress enough how urgently our communities need this complex care in place.”

The B.C. Urban Mayors' Caucus highlights four priorities in its Blueprint for B.C.'s Urban Future, which includes mental health, substance use and treatment; affordable housing; public transit; and a new fiscal framework.

To contact a reporter for this story, email Levi Landry or call 250-819-3723 or email the editor. You can also submit photos, videos or news tips to the newsroom and be entered to win a monthly prize draw.

We welcome your comments and opinions on our stories but play nice. We won't censor or delete comments unless they contain off-topic statements or links, unnecessary vulgarity, false facts, spam or obviously fake profiles. If you have any concerns about what you see in comments, email the editor in the link above. 

News from © iNFOnews, 2022