A wise woman named Jesse Scott once pointed out to me, when it comes to children, “you can pay now, or you can pay later.” Her point was that it takes an investment of time, love and money to raise our children, and if we fail to pay this investment, we as a society will pay the consequences.
I believe this also applies to all less fortunate members of society, especially those who are homeless. I understand that homelessness and poverty are complicated issues, but a do nothing attitude is, in my opinion, a plan for failure.
It would seem that some believe that homelessness is somebody else’s problem, like the provincial government, or that we should count on non-profit organizations, like Dawn to Dawn, to do all the work. I don’t believe this to be true. I think it behooves the Comox Valley Regional District to take action on homelessness, and I can attest, as a long time volunteer coordinator, that non-profit societies can only go so far without support from our elected officials.
Creating an arms-length agency to coordinate action on homelessness is a vital first step for a long term solution that will save us money. The Comox Valley needs a plan and our elected officials need to be… Champions!