The focus of the Nanaimo Systems Planning Organization Society is to help reduce the homeless population by helping to facilitate permanent housing solutions. (file photo)

By Jordan Davidson

work begins

New organization outlines future as more in Nanaimo struggle with homelessness

Jul 17, 2023 | 3:28 PM

NANAIMO — A new group focusing to help those experiencing homelessness find permanent housing in the region have laid out their early game plan.

During a City of Nanaimo governance and priority meeting on Monday, July 17, the Nanaimo Systems Planning Organization Society (SPO) gave an update on their their focus and future.

John McCormick, executive director of the SPO, said the health of a community revolves around housing and more people are struggling every year. He added it was the organization’s role to be a go-between for different levels of government or local organizations, to ensure adequate services are implemented.

“They are driven by contracts and they are driven by funding. We have to work with them to make sure that this fits into their mandates collectively or literally, and then help them to get the resources in place they need. And that’s our job, partly.”

The Nanaimo SPO was formed earlier this year to help find homes for those who need them in the Harbour City.

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McCormick said prevention is also a big part of their mandate.

“We know a large number of people who end up in homelessness, more than 50 per cent, are from Vancouver Island. So if we can do some work around this, it’s a very pernicious challenge to try and figure out who might fall into homelessness. Often we don’t know until it’s too late to maybe respond.”

Coordination is a big piece of SPO’s agenda, along with encouraging diverse housing options while providing community engagement and feedback.

The formation of the organization couldn’t come at a more crucial time.

According to the numbers from 2020, out of the approximately 100,000 residents who live in Nanaimo around 6,000 are living on the edge of homelessness, with 1,800 experiencing homeless in the course of a year and around 500 experiencing long-term, chronic homelessness.

While the most recent Point-In-time (PIT) data on homelessness in the community won’t be released until the fall, research and knowledge mobilization lead for the SPO Andrew Thornton said those numbers are on an upward trend.

“It’s a 20 per cent increase, give or take one percentage point from 2020. We continue to have a very high number of the relative percentage of people with absolutely no shelter at all on a nightly basis, somewhere in the neighbourhood of 400 people give or take, depends on what time of year it is.”

The Nanaimo SPO continues to reach out to community stakeholders such as Island Health, BC Housing, and the Snuneymuxw First Nation to start the process of working together to find housing solutions for the short and long term.

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jordan@nanaimonewsnow.com

On Twitter: @JordanDHeyNow