GROUP HOMES IN RICHMOND, BC

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GROUP HOMES IN RICHMOND, BC

• David W. Edgington
• Department of Geography
• University of British Columbia

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• Research Objectives
• Literature Review
• The Group Homes Task Force
• Conclusions

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Ethnoburbs

• Immigrants residents are more actively involved
  in mainstream politics and community affairs than
  the residents of ghettos and enclaves
• The ethnoburb model challenges the dominant
  view that suburban assimilation is inevitable and
  the best solution for ethnic minorities Wei Li,
  2006 From Enclave to Ethnoburb, forthcoming

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Multicultural Planning

• For planners, the practical imperative is no
  longer whether planning ought to be culturally
  sensitive, but how?
• How do planners accommodate one groups view of
  the physical environment when it conflicts with
  that of another group?
• More importantly, the question remains
  whether.planning can be sensitive to diverse
  cultures and yet maintain a unified public realm?
• Michael Burayidi, Urban Planning in a
  Multicultural Society, 2000

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Group Homes

• Offer an important service to substance dependent
  individuals and others needing special care
• Chinese traditional attitudes to drug addicts
• Canadian society and inclusiveness

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Maps of Richmond
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GROUP HOMES IN RICHMOND I

• Turning Point gtgtgtgtgtgt Setting up the Task Force
• 1990-91 Adams Place, a group home for male
  recovery from drug and alcohol addiction
• 1999 forced to relocate chose a 6,000 sq ft
  house in up-scale Odlin Road, Richmond Turning
  Point Recovery Home (10 beds)
• seeks approval from Vancouver/Richmond Health
  Board and Richmond City Council
• pickets and public protests by local residents,
  mainly members of the Chinese community

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GROUP HOMES IN RICHMOND I

• March 2001. Planning Committee of Councl
  considers a made-in-Richmond by-law to allow
  7-10 person group homes without a public hearing
  process
• 2-day hearing 00 of residents turn out of
  those who spoke, the overwhelming majority felt
  they wanted a say on where the group homes should
  be allowed to set up (preferably outside
  residential neighbourhoods) and how they should
  be run
• by-law or not?? (drug rehabilitation vs battered
  womens shelters, hospice homes, etc)

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INCLUSION OR EXCLUSION

• Against
• It is unfair to the children of Richmond since
  they will be exposed to foreseeable danger, said
  Philip Tang, one of the speakers on Tuesday.
• Were concerned about the drug dealers coming
  into our area, said Julie Lin. How can we
  protect our children? Our families?
• They should move out of residential areas, said
  Julies father, Simon Lin. They can be set up in
  restricted areas where they are not harmful
• (quotes from the Richmond News, 11 March 2001)

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INCLUSION OR EXCLUSION

• For
• I can tell you, people with mental handicaps,
  physical handicaps, people who suffer from drug
  and alcohol addiction or mental illness, will not
  hurt you or your family, I can say that from my
  own experience, said Brian Wardley, a member of
  the Richmond community health committee.
• If those concerned with group homes spent some
  time visiting or volunteering in one, youll find
  the (residents) are good human beings, just like
  you and me, Wardley said.
• (quotes from the Richmond News, 11 March 2001)

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GROUP HOMES IN RICHMOND II

• The Task Force
• March 2001 Group Homes Task Force Appointed
• Composition
• 3 members, Association of Richmond Homeowners
• 2 members, Richmond Community Services Advisory
  Council
• 1 member, Vancouver/Richmond Health Board
• 4 members, chosen at random from the ratepayers
  list

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GROUP HOMES IN RICHMOND II

• 14 x meetings held between May October, 2001
• consultants appointed by city planning staff
  (including Chinese media PR consultant)
• 100,000 budget

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GROUP HOMES IN RICHMOND II

• Task Force heard presentations from Group Home
  operators and residents, social planners,
  neighbours of Turning Point
• it found that 32 residential groups were already
  set up in the City (but that only 1 involved
  drug/alcohol recovery)
• found out that HK and China still have a punitive
  model of addressing drug addiction, rather than
  one focused on rehabilitation and education

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GROUP HOMES IN RICHMOND III

• Politics
• June 2001. Betrayal!!!
• John Wong Association of Richmond Homeowners
  quits the Task Force in frustration that the
  group was operating on a city-driven agenda
• 2 weeks later he is back on the Task Force after
  the Citys Policy Planner T. Crowe is
  re-assigned and the Citys Urban Development
  Manager D. McCllelan steps down as Task Force
  Chair.

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GROUP HOMES IN RICHMOND III

• October 2001. City By-election (issues are Group
  Homes Traffic and Gambling)
• eight Chinese Canadians out of 29 hopefuls on the
  election ballot
• three run under a new Richmond Canadian Voters
  (RCV) Party
• none with a Chinese name or background was
  successful in landing a seat on council
• 33.39 of Chinese-Canadian voters cast a ballot
  in the by-election,
• c.f. 32.07 for the population-at-large Civic
  Education Society

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2001 Civic By-election
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GROUP HOMES IN RICHMOND IV

• The End?
• September 2001. Information brochure produced by
  Task Force/City Staff/Consultant - bilingual
  version too
• 6 x community meetings

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GROUP HOMES IN RICHMOND IV

• October 2001. Final Report and Recommendations
  given to Council
• Group Homes (7-10 bed facility) be allowed as of
  right in residential areas, but with
  notification for new applications to neighbours
  within five-house radius
• Overall process managed by the City and Richmond
  Health Services
• Recommends establishment of a Cultural Relations
  Advisory Committee
• John Wong refuses to sign-off

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GROUP HOMES IN RICHMOND IV

• November 2001. Council wants more control over
  drug/alcohol recovery homes and seeks legal
  advice
• December 2001. BC Provincial Government changes
  Community Care Act to withdraw licensing
  requirement from 7-10 bed facilities
• Therefore no longer any requirement for Group
  Homes (7-10 bed facility) to be provincially (or
  municipally) licensed
• ..stalemate

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CONCLUSIONS

• Richmond City Council took a leadership role
• Increasing Chinese/HK political participation
• What prospects for municipal learning?

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Thank You!