Help for homeless available: Abbotsford councillor

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Posted February 18, 2014 7:08 pm.

This article is more than 5 years old.

ABBOTSFORD (NEWS1130) – A day after Abbotsford City Council voted down a proposal for a 20-bed facility for homeless men, a councillor says until there is a mental health or detox facility, there are resources for people who need them.

Les Barkman voted against the facility, which was proposed for the downtown area.

He says he isn’t against a facility — he’s just against this specific proposal.

Barkman says the city needs to help people where they are now, rather than thinking a year or two down the road. “I think with BC Housing, with the city, and different agencies like Salvation Army, Food Bank, we can make a huge dent before this thing even gets built, but we need a whole bunch of partners in the city to step up.”

Barkman says those partners include faith-based organizations, and the Chamber of Commerce.

Council has asked Fraser Health, the province, and BC Housing to fund operation and construction for another housing project on MacCallum Road.

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