Dear Mayor Froese and Langley Township Councillors,
I would like to communicate to you that the location of the proposed supportive housing project is inadequate and to a certain degree it is a dangerous time bomb to its own tenants and the surrounding community.
The 2017 Report on Homelessness in the Lower Mainland collected data. It reported 53 per cent of the homeless population was addicted to drugs; 38 per cent suffer from mental illness.
A very large liquor store is located next to the proposed supportive house project; the distance between the liquor store and the proposed supportive house is literary about a one minute walk.
There are many dangers related to mixing drugs and alcohol. First, mix two or more drugs with alcohol will bring the risk of overdose and death for its own tenants. Mixing alcohol and cocaine may result in heart damage, stroke, seizures, anger, vomiting , coma, etc.
Second, paring alcohol with heroin will bring a greater risk of mood swing overdose, respiratory failure, and death.
Third, research suggests that combining alcohol and cocaine may also increase the risk of violent thoughts and behaviours while pairing alcohol and marijuana will increase impaired coordination and judgment.
Forth, mixing alcohol with prescription drugs like painkillers antidepressants, and antipsychotics are also deadly. The side effects can include mood swing, impaired judgment, confusion, overdose, and death.
Finally, the most deadly side effect of mixing alcohol and antidepressants can lead to a condition called pathological intoxication, which means the combination of these two substances will lower inhibition toward committing violent and sexual acts.
Based on the data that provided by 2017 Report on Homelessness in the Lower Mainland, approximately 53 per cent of the proposed supportive housing tenants will be active drug users in the low barrier and no sobriety model. Furthermore, 38 per cent of its tenants suffer from mental illness. In other words, the majority of them will take one or two substances for the purpose of addition or treatment. Is it appropriate to locate the proposed supportive house next door to a very large liquor store?
In my opinion, the liquor store will bring deadly consequences to the tenants of proposed supportive housing project and the surrounding community.
For the well being of supportive housing tenants, and Langley children and families, I ask you to reject BC Housing’s application to rezone Quality Inn; instead help BC Housing to find an alternative site in Langley which will be further away from the liquor store, and elementary schools, day care centres and family homes to house the homeless.
Charles Ji, via email