BCGEU backs urgent call to stop group home closures

The BCGEU is supporting a call by Moms on the Move (MOMS) urging Housing and Social Development Minister Rich Coleman to halt the relocation of developmentally disabled adults to potentially unsafe and unsuitable housing.

The moves are the result of cost cutting to Community Living BC (CLBC), a provincial crown agency. The B.C. government has ordered CLBC to find roughly $22-million in ‘efficiencies’ this year. The agency is doing so by closing group homes and relocating some of the clients to the controversial ‘home share program’, where clients are housed in the private residence of a host-manager.

“MOMS’ concerns about CLBC cuts mirror our own,” said BCGEU president Darryl Walker. “We’re against clients being moved against their wishes. We fear some of these moves have the potential to subject people to neglect or mistreatment.”

The BCGEU represents group home workers in the community social services sector.

“We support a range of residential options and individual choice for CLBC clients. We want to see the B.C. Liberal government and its agencies develop a multi-year plan to deliver service improvements to semi-independent and independent living programs,” said Walker.

MOMS is B.C’s largest network of families of people with developmental disabilities. The BCGEU is urging its members to sign MOMS' petition against the group home closures.

Sign the MOMS petition

Read MOMS’ letter to Rich Coleman

MOMS website