FILE PHOTO

Image Credit: SUBMITTED/Reid Hamer-Jackson

The mayor of Kamloops rescinded his proposal to fund transportation for homeless people who want to leave the city, but he hasn't given up on the idea.

Reid Hamer-Jackson tabled the proposal for debate at the Sept. 12 council meeting. It suggested the City use surplus grant money to fund transportation for homeless people who wish to go back to home communities or elsewhere.

Before council had the chance to vote on whether or not to support his notice of motion, Hamer-Jackson decided he'd take a second run at the proposal before it returns at a future council meeting. The debate around the council chamber centred around where the funding would come from.

"It was like we can't find a nickel for this motion," Hamer-Jackson said to iNFOnews.ca.

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Hamer-Jackson mulled postponing his motion or simply rescinding it as council went through a lengthy discussion about procedure. Councillor Nancy Bepple asked that council vote to postpone the motion before the mayor simply decided to pull the motion and come back with a more-refined version.

The program he proposed would see a team of City staffers, social agency employees and the mayor himself help homeless people get ID and transportation to a new city. Similar programs already exist in Kamloops, however, with one run by Canadian Mental Health Association.

The association has helped dozens of people get bus tickets to other cities over the past three years, but the most challenging part of that work is making sure they have services and housing once they arrive in the new city, executive director Alfred Achoba said.

Achoba went on to say Hamer-Jackson was "stirring the pot" with the proposal to transport people elsewhere.

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Speaking with iNFOnews.ca, Hamer-Jackson defended the motion and said he is trying to help people who might feel stranded on the streets of Kamloops.

"This is to get people help who are on the streets. What's stirring the pot?" Hamer-Jackson said.

He was already aware that some non-profits can arrange for bus transport to help people move, but he believes there should be more agencies doing so.

He also defended his motion when asked about whether it's intended to rid Kamloops of its growing homeless population by emphasizing his intent is to make it voluntary.

"These are adults. You can't stop them," Hamer-Jackson said. "It's against the law for you to stop them if they want to go home, unless they broke the law or there's a warrant out for them."

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Staff told the mayor that the grant funding he suggested they use was not only claimed for other services, but that it's not up to council to decide exactly what services will get that funding, acting chief administrative officer Byron McCorkell said.

Hamer-Jackson has rescinded his motion as he give the proposal a rewrite.

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