I recently had the opportunity to sit down with Randene Wejr, Executive Director of Turning Points Collaborative Society, to learn more about two issues I am hearing a lot about during this campaign: homelessness and housing affordability.
I came away impressed by the size and scope of the organization and its continuum of care. Turning Points provides outreach, emergency shelter, supportive and affordable housing, addiction recovery, health and employment services, supporting people at very different stages and with very different needs.
One thing was very clear from our conversation: without these services and the work of other organizations in our community, we would have many more people living on our streets.
But our conversation also reinforced something broader for me. Homelessness and housing affordability are closely connected. When people can’t find housing they can afford, it increases the risk of homelessness and can also make it more difficult for people already within the shelter and supportive-housing system to move toward greater independence.
A Critical Gap in the Housing Continuum
One of the most important things I took away from my conversation with Randene was the importance of looking at the entire housing continuum.
Supportive housing provides a stable home alongside services and supports. For some people, that may be the appropriate long-term solution. Others may reach a point where they are ready to live more independently but still need affordable housing.
When that affordable housing isn’t available, it can create a bottleneck. People remain in supportive housing longer, which means fewer spaces become available for those who need that higher level of assistance.
Our conversation also reinforced why different types of housing and support are needed. A senior who loses their housing because they can no longer afford it may simply need an affordable place to live. Someone struggling with addiction and sleeping outside may need a low-barrier entry point. Someone entering recovery may need a substance-free environment. And someone with significant mental-health challenges may require a higher level of support.
There isn’t one path into homelessness, and there isn’t one solution out of it. Different circumstances require different responses.
Affordable Housing: What Can the City Actually Do?
Our conversation also got me thinking more about what we actually mean when we talk about affordable housing.
At its simplest, housing affordability is about the relationship between what housing costs and what people earn. That means increasing housing supply is important, but it is only part of the affordability equation.
Many factors affecting housing costs are outside the control of municipal government. City Council can’t control interest rates, wages, federal tax policy or the cost of construction materials.
But the City does have some important levers. It can influence how much and what types of housing can be built, where greater density is permitted, development approval processes and timelines, municipal fees and charges, infrastructure planning, the use of City-owned land, and partnerships with non-profit organizations and other levels of government.
For me, that’s an important distinction. Rather than simply saying we need more affordable housing, I want to better understand which levers are actually available to the City and how we can use them effectively.
Housing, Density and Growth
Randene and I also discussed the importance of creating more density and making better use of the infrastructure that is already in place. Her comments align with the direction established in Vernon’s Official Community Plan, which focuses future growth within the Urban Containment Boundary and directs higher-density development toward areas that are already serviced.
This approach can help increase housing supply while making more efficient use of existing roads, water, sewer and other infrastructure, rather than continually extending services outward as Vernon grows.
Housing affordability, growth, infrastructure and water are not separate conversations. Decisions about where and how we grow can have long-term implications for both the cost of housing and the cost of providing municipal services.
Expanding Access to Addiction Recovery
Housing alone, however, isn’t the answer for everyone experiencing homelessness. For some people, addiction treatment and recovery services are an important part of moving toward greater stability.
Turning Points operates Bill’s Place, a sober-living addiction recovery program in Vernon. Demand for the program has significantly exceeded its existing capacity, and Turning Points is now working on a major expansion of the facility.
The planned three-storey, 13,500-square-foot expansion would increase capacity by 133%, with Turning Points aiming to significantly reduce the wait for admission.
For me, this is another example of why we need to look at the full continuum of care. Shelter may address someone’s immediate need for a safe place to sleep, but for someone who is ready to address an addiction, timely access to recovery services can be an important step toward greater stability and independence.
Why Better Data Matters
Another topic that really resonated with me was data.
Organizations across our community provide different pieces of the homelessness, housing, health and social-support system. Better integrated data could help develop a clearer picture of who needs help, what services people are accessing, where people are falling through the gaps and whether programs are actually achieving the outcomes intended.
Coming from a professional background where good information has always been fundamental to good decision-making, this particularly resonated with me.
If we want to know whether we’re making progress on homelessness or housing affordability, we need reliable information that allows us to measure results, strengthen accountability and make informed decisions about where limited resources can have the greatest impact.
Understanding the City’s Role
Perhaps one of my biggest takeaways from this and other conversations I’ve been having is the importance of understanding what the City can influence and where responsibility lies with other levels of government.
Homelessness, housing affordability, mental health and addictions cross municipal, regional, provincial and federal responsibilities. City Council cannot solve all of these issues on its own.
But that doesn’t mean the City doesn’t have an important role.
My goal during this campaign is to understand the work already underway, what’s working, where the gaps are, what results are being achieved and, importantly, where the City of Vernon can make a meaningful difference within its role and responsibilities.
Thank you, Randene, for taking the time to share your knowledge, experience and perspective with me and for helping me better understand the work Turning Points is doing and some of the challenges our community is facing.
Published: Sept. 8, 2026