Recovering addict concerned about relapse due to alleged drug abuse at Penticton shelter

A client at the Compass House homeless shelter in Penticton, B.C., is speaking out about alleged drug abuse, which he claims runs rampant inside the shelter, threatening his road to recovery.

Timothy Anderson, originally from northern B.C., said he failed to save enough money during the winter while working as a chef at the Gunbarrel Saloon on Apex Mountain to afford rent.

He’s now on the job hunt and, in the meantime, he has spent the past two to three weeks residing at the year-round homeless shelter located at 123 Nanaimo Ave. E. in downtown Penticton.

“It’s difficult because the drug abuse that occurs in the shelter affects a person’s sleep and, therefore, their physical and mental health,” he told Global Okanagan on Monday.

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Anderson, who is a recovering drug addict, said he is concerned about relapsing because he is surrounded by people who are allegedly consuming drugs inside, which is against shelter rules.

“It’s a constant struggle. It is very hard to describe just how taxing that is. It’s incredibly, incredibly difficult to stay sober when you’re surrounded by drug use,” he said.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "It's a constant struggle. It is very hard to describe just how taxing that is. It's incredibly, incredibly difficult to stay sober when you're surrounded by drug use," he said.

Anderson also alleges that he has been the victim of verbal threats from other clients and feels unsafe.

“Not at all safe — like perhaps sleeping outside would be a safer option than being inside the shelter,” he said.

Anderson said he would like to see shelter staff enforce the rules and evict tenants who violate the no drugs policy.

“I thought these people were supposed to be here to help us, and it seems like all they want to do is just keep druggies off of the street so they’re not seen by the public,” he said.

Anderson showed Global Okanagan video evidence of a client who appears to be doing meth in the bedroom, but he says shelter staff told him they are required to visually witness someone consuming drugs in order to take action.

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“There needs to be a review into the policy as to what constitutes reasonable grounds to remove a resident from the shelter because right now, the standard of proof that someone is using drugs in the shelter or otherwise contravening shelter policy is that the staff have to actually catch them,” he said.

Compass House is operated by the Salvation Army. There are 20 beds available year-round, 16 for men and four for women. It is the only shelter in the South Okanagan currently available to men, as the emergency winter shelter at the former Super 8 motel on Main Street shut down for the season.

Shelter manager Roger Evans said the organization has a policy that no drugs are allowed on the premises and that if someone is caught, they could be evicted from the house for seven to 30 days.

When Evans was asked how often the policy is enforced, he replied: “(It’s) not that often that we catch people, but we do from time to time.”

Evans said the low-barrier shelter has a mandate to save lives.

“We want to reduce all of the barriers so that people aren’t staying on the street,” he said.

“They need to leave their drugs off-site and then we will allow them in. They can be high in the house as long as they maintain the respectability of the house,” Evans said.

“We’re trying to help these people regain their lives.”

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When asked what else could be done to enforce the shelter’s policy on drug use, Evans replied: “There is nothing more that can be done. We know the signs of someone using so we are watching and we know which individuals will use in the house so we just keep an eye on them.”

Penticton RCMP say their officers are not called to the shelter often, and the detachment does not have any particular concern regarding the shelter.

“Our priority is making sure the staff are encouraged to call us and having an open dialogue regarding any concerns when we visit with them,” Const. James Grandy said in an email.

“There certainly could be cases in which we are not contacted about certain incidents.”

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