Hundreds of formerly-homeless people could once again find themselves bunking on the sidewalk as a federal study that housed them winds down next spring.
The Chez Soi/At Home study housed almost 300 people in Vancouver as part of a national research project to discover the most effective ways of helping homeless people with mental illnesses.
As part of the study, 297 people were housed at a few residences around Vancouver, 100 of them at the Bosman Hotel downtown.
But after three years the project is wrapping up - and so is its funding.
Liz Evans with the Portland Hotel Society said a request for a two-year extension of funds to keep housing the people has not been answered yet.
“If we don’t get the extension, the consequences are going to be desperate for a lot of people,” said Evans.
Vancouver City Councillor Kerry Jang said a two-year extension would help people complete treatment and slowly transition to new homes.
“Without any additional treatments, without having that housing you know we’re going to be back to square one,” said Jang.
In a statement to CTV News the Mental Health Commission of Canada said it has been working with all of its partners to help people transition out of the study.
It said the federal and provincial governments are two players in the project.
But Jang said the city was expecting an answer at the end of September and still hasn’t heard a response.
Jang said he is worried if a way to keep those who participated in the study housed isn’t found, they will end up back on the city’s streets in March.
With a report from CTV British Columbia’s Maria Weisgarber
