B.C.’s housing minister responded to more than a year of complaints by supportive housing providers this week by announcing a “review” of their concerns, the latest in a series of slow-moving, navel-gazing exercises by the New Democratic government.

Ravi Kahlon said a new “working group” of police, supportive housing providers, BC Housing and others will tackle the issue of weapons, violence and unchecked drug use by tenants unfit to stay in supportive housing but who can’t be easily evicted by the providers under the Residential Tenancy Act.

“We’re tasking this working group to come back to us with solutions,” said Kahlon.

The players involved have been proposing “solutions” for almost two years to a largely unreceptive government.

They started in January 2024 when government changed the rules to give supportive housing tenants more protection under the Residential Tenancy Act, making it harder for providers to evict people who are disruptive to staff and other residents.

The move left major players like Pacifica Housing and Portland Hotel Society “reeling,” PHS CEO Micheal Vonn told The Globe and Mail at the time.

“We’re not providing housing in any........

© BIV