BC Housing to cut provincial funding for security patrols at Chilliwack shelters, modular housing facilities

“This escalating demand has reinforced the need for dedicated 24/7 security patrols as an essential component of maintaining public safety, protecting vulnerable individuals, being a responsible neighbour, and preserving peace, order, and community confidence in the areas where shelters and supportive housing are located,” Hahn’s letter stated.

As documented by Fraser Valley Today earlier this year, the city of Chilliwack currently spends in excess of $1.6 million annually on Griffin Security, in addition to significant bylaw, fire and policing costs, to address calls for service associated with shelters and supportive housing facilities. Altogether, the city spends over $5 million a year on costs related to homelessness.

Hahn wrote in her letter that municipal taxpayers are already bearing a considerable share of the costs associated with supporting provincial housing, health, and social service mandates.

“City Council has consistently expressed concern regarding the disproportionate concentration of shelter beds and supportive housing units within Chilliwack, the lack of comparable shelter capacity in neighbouring communities to the west, and ongoing reports from local service providers that community resources are being strained by the continued influx of individuals experiencing homelessness from outside the community,” Hahn wrote in her letter.

On several occasions, Chilliwack City Council members have repeatedly voiced concerns regarding the growing financial burden being placed on local taxpayers to address matters that are fundamentally linked to provincial responsibilities for housing, health care, mental health, and addictions services. For example, the city has advocated for a more equitable distribution of shelter beds and requested additional mental health supports, but the province has done nothing to alleviate those stated concerns.

As of January 2026, there were 34 ACT (Assertive Community Treatment) teams across the province that provide enhanced, wrap-around care and treatment to people in the community who struggle with complex mental health. Of those 34 teams, seven are in the Fraser Health region, including Abbotsford-Mission and Langley, but Chilliwack has none.

The city says the province has rejected Chilliwack’s request for an ACT team in the community, telling city staff there are other services that exist in the community.

Another ongoing challenge involves the lack of detox beds in the Fraser Health region. There are 26 detox beds for a Fraser Health population area of over 1.5 million people, but it simply isn’t enough.

“Given Council’s longstanding concerns regarding the concentration of services in Chilliwack and the substantial municipal investment already being made to support these facilities, this decision by BC Housing will undoubtedly be met with significant disappointment and frustration by Council, with a decision that shifts additional costs and operational pressures onto the City and its taxpayers,” Hahn said. “At a time when public scrutiny of homelessness-related expenditures, community safety, and government accountability continues to intensify, I am writing to urge you to reconsider this decision and continue this important partnership with the City. Such continued investment in dedicated security demonstrates a commitment not only to the safety of clients and staff, but also to the principle that shelter and supportive housing providers must be responsible and respectful neighbours within the communities that host them.”

by Mike Vanden Bosch

BC Housing to cut provincial funding for security patrols at Chilliwack shelters, modular housing facilities

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