The City of Vancouver’s lease enabling the use of a municipal-owned property in Yaletown for an overdose prevention site (OPS) will come to a natural end.
In a formal notification letter of the decision last week, City of Vancouver arts, culture, and community services manager Sandra Singh informed Vancouver Coastal Health that the municipal government will not renew the lease for the OPS.
But the facility will likely not close anytime soon — for up to another eight months — as the current lease for the ground-level unit at the building at 1101 Seymour Street will expire at the end of March 2024.
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The OPS opened about two-and-a-half years ago as a pandemic-time measure to help address the spike in rising overdoses.
When the previous makeup of Vancouver City Council approved the lease for the facility in October 2020, the proponents vowed to be accountable to the neighbourhood and address any issues that arise from the facility.
But there have been numerous complaints from neighbours that public disorder, strewn garbage and needles, crime and public safety issues, and sidewalk encampments in the area stem from the facility’s existence. The frequent issues have been well documented on social media.
“While this location has proven unviable for sustained operations, we look forward to continuing to support VCH Public Health and VCH Community in finding locations to site key health services across the city as feasible,” wrote Singh.
Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH) is the leaseholder of the City-owned property, while RainCity Housing and Support Society is the operator.
The opening of this facility in Yaletown was already a relocation of RainCity’s OPS previously located nearby at St. Paul’s Hospital — until the fatal stabbing of a volunteer at the OPS in July 2020. St. Paul’s Hospital staff raised safety concerns with the on-site OPS location following the death of Thomus Donaghy. This OPS is formally named the Thomus Donaghy Overdose Prevention Site in memory of him.
The existing facility is located within a 580 sq ft space in the social service centre of the City-owned social housing building at the northwest corner of the intersection of Helmcken and Seymour streets, just north of Emily Barnes Park and across the street from the Gathering Place community centre and homeless shelter.
“As many of you know, I have been working — since elected — to ensure the operators take accountability for the negative impacts on our community. City staff have stepped up with additional funds and resources to mitigate the negative impacts on the community and the adjacent Gathering Place, but the operator has refused to take responsibility and issues continue,” said ABC councillor Peter Meiszner in a statement, who first suggested this past spring the OPS is in the wrong location and should be relocated.
“As a result, this location’s lease will not be renewed. While I support harm reduction and safe injection sites, they must come with appropriate wraparound services, care and support, and management of the public realm.”
In response to the decision, OneCity councillor Christine Boyle suggests there needs to be a guarantee of a replacement facility timed with the closure of the facility in Yaletown.
“Closing the Overdose Prevention Site without opening another, similar facility in the neighbourhood is unacceptable,” said Boyle in a statement. “Any interruption or reduction in services will very likely lead to more drug poisoning deaths. The mayor and ABC majority have the power to intervene.”
She specifically wants to see the lease renewed until a “new permanent site is ready to open in the same neighbourhood.”
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