STAEF REPORT
BACKGR

The trend of “deinstitutionalization” and the establishment of group homes in local communities
has been an issue of concern to a number of GVRD member municipalities in the lower
mainland. The provincial policy of downsizing of major institutions such as Riverview and
Woodlands has meant that residents are now being housed in smaller group home facilities
throughout the region. Other provincial ministries such as the Ministries of Social Services and
the Attorney-General have residential programs which result :: :roup homes being established
in local communities. Some of these require a Community ‘:re Licence, while others do not.

Mu: ipalities have been = -d with several issues includ:: ne number of operators seeking
sites -ommunity oppositio group homes in residential :< so0urhoods, Council requests for
polic 2s and procedures to. -dle the location and processing of community care licences (for
licensed group homes facilixss) and requests from the public for more information about the
group homes locating in their neighbourhoods. The Social Issues Sub-Committee of the |
Technical Advisory Committee discussed these issues and has. prepared this report.

The Committee has identified the need for an inventory of both licensed and unlicensed group
homes in the region as a resource to GVRD member municipalities/cities/districts. Such
information is valuable in co-ordinating the planning and location of such facilities for local
Councils, residents, operators and funders.

As a pilot project the Committee undertook the preparation of a group home inventory with the
assistance of member municipalities. Licensed group homes refers to those facilities which
require a licence under the C- munity Care Facility Licensing Act. Group homes not requiring
a licence include facilities sii: as youth homes, halfway houses or transition houses which may
be established under programs of other ministries (such as the Attorney General) or pursuant to
other Acts. However, based on available information the Committee was unable to include an
inventory of unlicensed facilities at this time, as this information was not uniformly available at
the local level. However, the Committee feels strongly that any future inventory should also
include unlicensed facilities because such facilities are known to local neighbours and similar
fears and concems as those relating to licensed facilities are expressed.

The preliminary data for the regional inventory presented in this report, therefore, is for licensed
facilities only. Information on the regional distribution of facilities and beds, the regional
distribution by type, and relationship to population is summarized in the next section.

The Social Issues Committee also discussed the difficulties in establishing and integrating group
home facilities in loca! neighbourhoods. Provincial and Federal deinstitutionalization policies
have meant the closure of large scaie institutions and the establishment of smaller group home
facilities in local communities. However, considerable unease and lack of information about
group homes residents frequently results in neighbourhood opposition to such facilities.

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