BC Housing, which oversees most shelters across the province, released a statement saying Reid Hamer-Jackson’s unannounced visits are “disruptive” to staff trying to help people in need. “Frontline shelter staff are focused on providing support to the vulnerable people who live there,” the statement said. “Operators have procedures in place to support visits to these sites, but are unable to accommodate unannounced visits given how disruptive it is to the privacy of shelter visitors and frontline staff working in very difficult conditions.” Hammer-Jackson is now being asked to schedule future visits. “We welcome those who want to visit a shelter to contact the operator or BC Housing to arrange a good time to visit.”
The Mayor says he’s trying to help
Hammer-Jackson, who was elected in October, says his visits are a result of trying to help people out of the cold. He confirmed he visited Moira House, a shelter in the city’s North Shore run by the Canadian Mental Health Association, early Sunday morning with someone who needs space in a wheelchair-accessible place. “We went there and just asked if they had beds,” he said. “Why should I stop trying to help people?” Daybreak Kamloops11:40 Kamloops mayor responds to BC Housing’s request to pre-schedule shelter visits Is the mayor’s unannounced drop-off from local shelters — inappropriate? BC Housing has written to the City of Kamloops requesting that visits be scheduled in advance. Hammer-Jackson, who owns a car dealership in downtown Kamloops, says he’s constantly dealing with alarms going off at night when people needing shelter break into vehicles on his lot in an attempt to keep warm. During the recent election campaign, he questioned the effectiveness of the shelter system in Kamloops and asked BC Housing to fund a review of local shelters to ensure accountability. Hammer-Jackson says he’s dropped by several shelters, but has only encountered resistance at facilities run by the Kamloops chapter of the Canadian Mental Health Association, which recently backed out of plans to operate the city’s two cold-weather shelters. He says he is surprised that his visits are viewed negatively. “If something goes wrong, I guess I have to move to another country,” he said.
