One of Victoria’s proposed supervised consumption sites already has a policy in place to “witness” drug use.
Andy Bond, director of housing for PHS Community Services, said the organization has a “witnessing” policy of observing residents use drugs if someone requests it for safety reasons.
The Vancouver-based organization manages the Johnson Street Community building, one of three locations proposed by Island Health for supervised consumption services.
The 147-unit former Central Care Home at 844 Johnson St. was purchased by the province in June as part of a $26-million investment in social housing to help house homeless people living at the tent city on the courthouse lawn.
Bond said there have been at least 32 overdoses at the building since it opened in August.
“People are coming down, saying they’re scared to use [drugs] alone,” Bond said.
Under the witnessing policy, a resident might leave their door open and ask a staff member to check on them or watch them for signs of overdose.
“We try to be open with people and not stigmatize them,” Bond said. “In housing where policies against drug use force people to use alone in secret, there is more chance for harm.”
PHS manages about 1,300 units in Vancouver and Victoria. In this year alone, Bond said staff have intervened in more than 1,000 overdoses and have yet to have a death.
The proposed supervised consumption site at the Johnson Street building would be open to residents only and would be the first of its kind in Canada, he said.
“It would be the first [residential building] to have a formal exemption [to the federal law],” said Bond, who was in Victoria this week to attend consultation meetings about the project.
“When someone [overdoses] in a residential building, it takes time to get to them, to get a staff member, get a kit, get to the person’s room. Supervised services would cut down on that,” said Bond, adding every minute that goes by a person is closer to death or brain damage.
He estimates about 80 per cent of the residents at Johnson Street are users, but not all use intravenous drugs.
Bond said he expects some concern and pushback from the public about the sites coming to Victoria, but added: “Everywhere they are set up, the health and treatment outcomes improve.”
Give your feedback on proposed sites
Public feedback on Island Health’s proposed supervised consumption services will be accepted until Dec. 2 at the following:
• Email — scs@viha.ca
• Online survey — viha.ca/scs
