Whereas individuals facing severe mental health and addiction challenges require comprehensive and coordinated care, and the current resources in BC are insufficient to meet the growing demand for detoxification, rehabilitation, and supportive housing, leading to inadequate treatment and forcing individuals to leave their home communities for essential services; And whereas communities in British Columbia have experienced a significant increase in the street population, leading to heightened concerns about public safety, community well-being, and the challenges associated with mental health, substance abuse, and public disorder, while current policing resources remain insufficient to effectively address these complex issues: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM urge the provincial government to: - Increase funding and resources to expand and enhance detox and rehabilitation services across BC; - Establish initiatives that foster collaboration among local governments, government agencies, healthcare providers, nonprofit organizations, and community members to ensure effective coordination, resource allocation, and holistic support for individuals undergoing detox and rehabilitation; - Develop a provincial strategy to address homelessness by increasing funding for housing, shelter, and treatment services; and - Provide dedicated funding streams for local governments facing increased street population challenges, including direct grants through the Provincial Policing and Public Safety Fund, additional allocations to the Community Safety and Crime Prevention Branch, and enhanced federal contributions under the Reaching Home program to support specialized policing units, mental health crisis response teams, and community safety initiatives.
Ministry of Health People struggling with substance use deserve timely, compassionate care and a clear path to recoverywithout unnecessary delays or barriers. The province is working to build a comprehensive system of care, which includes BCs Road to Recovery R2R model. R2R is creating a seamless continuum of substance use care from assessment to withdrawal management detox, treatment and aftercare for clients with moderate to severe substance use disorders. BCs Road to Recovery model launched in Vancouver in 2023 and is being expanded to all Health Authorities. Between October 2023 to September 2025, R2R Vancouver received 40,097 calls through Access Central, and supported 4,412 people into a withdrawal management detox bed with a median wait time of one day for those clients prioritized as urgent. And routine booking availability is now typically around 8 days, down from 26 days prior to R2R. Implementation of R2R is underway in every region, including Interior Health. Access Central services are now available seven days a week at: - Interior Health: 1-866-777-1103 from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. - Island Health: 1-888-885-8824 from 9 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. - Fraser Health: 1-833-866-6478 from 8:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. - Vancouver Coastal Health: 1-866-658-1221 from 9 a.m. to 7:45 p.m. - Northern Health Authority: coming in late 2026