Madam Chair, now they are asking for the government to decriminalize.
On top of the opioid crisis, the downtown east side has the highest number of COVID-19 cases in Vancouver. To prevent the spread of COVID-19, we have been told to wash our hands and socially distance. Van East has the largest homeless encampment in the country. These health measures are next to impossible for those who are homeless or live in overcrowded or substandard housing with shared bathrooms.
Will the minister support the province's request for a fifty-fifty cost-shared COVID-19 housing measure as a key component to address both of these health emergencies?