The Town of Princeton is asking the B.C. government to take action to address the issues of homelessness, mental health, substance use and environmental challenges affecting the community.
A three-page letter from the town, dated June 15, was sent to Premier David Eby and numerous provincial ministers and officials.
Mayor Spencer Coyne said Princeton has faced a worsening homelessness crisis for several years and local service providers, organizations and volunteers have worked to respond.
“The absence of adequate provincial services, encampment supports, mental health and addiction resources and cleanup funding has allowed the situation to deteriorate beyond the community’s capacity to manage,” he said in the letter.
He added that within one week, the community’s fire department responded to two encampment-related fires in Princeton.
“It is neither reasonable nor sustainable to expect a small rural volunteer fire department to repeatedly manage preventable emergencies arising from a broader crisis that requires provincial intervention,” he said.
Princeton has close to 3,000 residents. More than 30 people in the community are estimated to be living without stable shelter, Coyne said.
“On a per-capita basis, this represents an unimaginable burden for a municipality of our size,” he said. “Rural communities do not have access to the concentration of shelters, outreach teams, treatment services, supportive housing, mental health professionals and addiction services available in larger urban centres.”
The town is asking for assistance from the province, including an assessment and cleanup of the encampment sites as well as support for affected individuals, a coordinated public safety plan and funding.
“The situation now poses a clear and growing risk to public safety, human health, the environment, emergency responders and individuals living in these encampments,” Coyne said in the letter.