May 8,2025 - B.C. supportive housing providers call for immediate weapons ban and changes to Residential Tenancy Act to keep people safe

Lekwungen and W̱SÁNEĆ territory (Victoria, B.C.) – BC needs an immediate ban on weapons in supportive housing buildings province-wide and changes to Residential Tenancy Act (RTA) provisions to enable supportive housing operators to respond in case of weapons possession and violence, the BC Coalition for Safe and Sustainable Supportive Housing (SaSSH) announced today in Victoria.

"Low-barrier supportive housing providers have been clear that the Residential Tenancy Act (RTA) is the wrong legislation for our sector," says Carolina Ibarra, CEO of Pacifica Housing, one of Victoria’s largest supportive housing providers, and Vice Chair for Vancouver Island of SaSSH. "One of our many concerns is that we cannot deal effectively with weapons and violent behaviours under the current regulation. We are also deeply troubled about our inability to remove trespassers from the property, some of whom are known to have weapons and to be aggressive. We need support from the BC government to address these issues – and we need it now."

In late April, a young father was found deceased in a unit at Waterview, a supportive housing building operated by Pacifica Housing in Victoria’s Burnside Gorge neighbourhood. The incident is being investigated as a suspected homicide. Ibarra says such incidents, which are preventable, take away from the positive impact of low-barrier supportive housing and feed negative narratives. Residents and staff at Waterview are deeply concerned and want action.

"Low-barrier supportive housing providers are committed to providing safety to residents, staff and communities, but we can’t do that without the appropriate tools," says Micheal Vonn, CEO of PHS Community Services Society - which operates supportive housing in both Vancouver and Victoria - and Chair of SaSSH. "We support a vulnerable population of people with serious mental and physical illnesses and injury and we require the ability to address risks in real time."

"Supportive housing is named such because of its intention to help the clients to get better and to be well," says Bob Hughes, Executive Officer of Ask Wellness and Vice Chair of SaSSH for the Interior. "Come as you are, but don’t stay as you are. Capacity to provide support, set boundaries, and keep people safe are crucial for success."

Vonn says that, to address these concerns, the Coalition is asking B.C. to take the following steps:
  • As an interim measure, immediately enact an enforceable weapons ban in supportive housing, and;
  • ensure that if trespassers and weapons are found on site, that they can be removed, with the support of law enforcement if necessary;
  • remove supportive housing from Residential Tenancy Act and work with the Coalition to create an appropriate legislative framework that supports the realities of this work, while protecting residents from harm;
  • commit to appropriately resourcing housing providers so that we can effectively meet the support needs of the people we serve;
  • commit to building purpose-built supportive housing.

"We reject absolutely the idea that the people we house and the staff that provide services deserve a lower standard of safety consideration than we find in other analogous settings, like health care. The sustainability and success of the frontline response to homelessness depends on getting the balances right," added Vonn. "That’s why we’re respectfully asking Minister Ravi Kahlon for immediate action."

ABOUT THE BC COALITION FOR SAFE AND SUSTAINABLE SUPPORTIVE HOUSING (SASSH)
BC Coalition for Safe and Sustainable Supportive Housing (SaSSH) is a coalition of 21 low-barrier supportive housing providers in BC that promotes a unified approach to building capacity to meet the needs of the most vulnerable communities, while prioritizing the safety and wellbeing of the people who use our services, the people who carry out this work and the wider community.
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