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HomeNewsNanaimo council to receive Action Plan to help homeless, vulnerable

Nanaimo council to receive Action Plan to help homeless, vulnerable

After months of meeting and collaboration, Nanaimo’s Heath and Housing task force is ready to send its Action Plan to City Council on Monday.

The Plan is aimed at helping the region’s most vulnerable populations, including those experiencing homelessness.

It says fewer resources will be needed to keep pace with demand if funding and resources are used more effectively.

But that would mean asking various organizations working in Nanaimo to change the ways they work, and to overall better coordinate the services they provide, like shelter, food and health supports.

The Action Plan recommends the creation of a Health and Housing Governance Board to oversee the implementation of the plan. Another recommendation found in the Action Plan is the establishment of a Funders’ Table with the aim of securing the $65.5M needed to meet Nanaimo’s health and housing needs over the next five years.

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Key funding partners could include Island Health, BC Housing, and the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation as these organizations have the appropriate mandates to support this work, and the Action Plan will equip the Funders’ Table to be more effective in demonstrating needs and advocating for additional investment in Nanaimo. 

The Action Plan also calls for the creation of a Health and Housing Systems Planner Organization to help optimize current approaches and maximize return on investment. At their last meeting, the Health and Housing Task Force recommended that Council direct Staff to convene a transition group to establish the overall governance requirements as well as guide the implementation of the System Planner Organization and report back to Council.

This recommendation will be considered by Council at the same meeting as the Health and Housing Action Plan. 

“On behalf of Nanaimo Council, I want to thank Dr. Alina Turner, the Health and Housing Task Force, our community partners and those who engaged with us on the creation of this ambitious plan,” says Health and Housing Task Force co-Chair Don Bonner. 

“Council will review and discuss the findings of the Health and Housing Action Plan at an upcoming Governance and Priorities Committee meeting as well as a Council meeting. One thing is for certain, all of our hearts are in the right place and we want to see a solution that works for Nanaimo.” 

About the Health and Housing Action Plan
https://cnan.ca/2NByDyW

Members of the Health and Housing Task Force
https://cnan.ca/3dqVwA0

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