Frequently Asked Questions: Crises Response Pilot Project
What is the Crises Response Pilot Project?
The Crises Response Pilot Project, or CRPP for short, is meant to address three interconnected and complex crises: homelessness, mental health, and substance use.
One of the goals is to develop connections with people who are unhoused and/or navigating mental health and/or substance use. As staff develop relationships and trust with them, they are better able to connect them to resources like shelter, supportive housing, and health and social support services.
Some of the indirect impacts of the three crises—such as what residents and businesses and City staff might be experiencing—will be impacted by this work. This is achieved by bringing people inside, which reduces issues related to sheltering, open burning, human waste and discarded belongings.
This work will also address the diverse needs of the priority population, including needs related to mental health and substance use.
Why has the City of New Westminster launched the CRPP?
While the City of New Westminster has been active in this area—including as part of its Downtown Livability and Homelessness Action Strategies—it’s become clear it is not just one of these three crises impacting priority populations, it may be two or three. Homelessness speaks to a number of gaps, including health care, housing, and income support. Additionally, the ongoing poisoned drug epidemic and the COVID-19 pandemic further aggravated the situation.
Another part of the reason for putting the CRPP together was to address challenges City staff were facing in a bid to find solutions for related situations. The City of New Westminster’s response to the three crises and the associated externalities have been above and beyond—for instance, the City’s sanitation crews are cleaning up human waste to a degree they haven’t before.
By combining this work under one comprehensive strategy, we can address these crises in a meaningful way that takes into consideration everyone impacted.
What will the CRPP do?
The CRPP addresses both immediate and long-term impacts related to the three crises of homelessness, mental health and substance use. This includes:
- The creation of the Community Liaison Officer Program (CLOs) to address some of the day-to-day concerns, including blocked doors, open burning, or sheltering.
- The establishment of CRT Outreach, meant to connect priority populations to resources—including shelter and food.
- The creation of the Biohazard Removal Program, which allows Downtown New West businesses to sign up for daily clean-up overseen by the City.
- A range of systems related to safety and education so in the event City staff may be required to take on additional tasks that would normally fall outside their purview, appropriate plans and procedures are in place.
The CRPP is also guided by two plans: a Five-Year Prevention, Support and Transition Services Plan and a Ten-Year Supportive Housing and Wrap-Around Services Plan. Points from these plans make up the 2025 Crises Response Roadmap.
- The Five-Year Prevention, Support and Transition Services Plan aims to reduce the number of people falling into homelessness, decrease the time that people are homeless and better support people while homeless, including preparing them to transition out of homelessness. By bringing people inside, where possible, and addressing their diverse needs, this will reduce the impacts of the three crises on residents and businesses.
- The Ten-Year Supportive and Wrap-Around Services Plan ensures the majority of people seeking shelter, supportive or below-market housing can access it, and homelessness is isolated and rapidly addressed. It also aims to ensure mental health and substance use supports, including complex care units, are available and can be accessed in a timely manner.
What improvements will I see as a resident or a business?
There are a lack of 24/7 shelter beds and supportive housing capacity in the city. If the daytime unhoused population, which numbers at least 120 people, is brought inside, this will significantly reduce the impacts of the three crises on residents and businesses, including related to sheltering, open burning, human waste and discarded belongings.
Why is the City recommending permanent supportive housing with services as part of an evidence-based approach to addressing homelessness?
Permanent supportive housing is subsidized housing that includes embedded and wrap-around supports for single adults, seniors and people living with disabilities experiencing or at-risk of homelessness. Support services are offered within the building or by referral from on-site support staff and includes individualized case planning to connect residents to health, mental health, life skills, employment and social supports as needed.
Research has shown overall housing stability for individuals experiencing or who are at-risk of homelessness is significantly improved by permanent supportive housing. This is because residents benefit from the ongoing supports provided to remain housed and improve their overall health and well-being. According to the Elizabeth Fry Society and Lookout Housing and Health Society, 50 to 60% of those currently residing in transitional supportive housing may be unable to transition to independent living in below, or non-market housing. Permanent supportive housing provides access to numerous resources to enable residents to maintain their housing over the long-term.
Reducing homelessness through permanent supportive housing can also reduce the impacts of homelessness on the community. When people experiencing homelessness move into housing, this significantly reduces impacts of the three crises on residents and businesses, included related to sheltering, open burning, human waste and discarded belongings. When permanent supportive housing is purpose-designed, such as in the case of Mazarine Lodge and the Rhoda Kaellis Residence in New Westminster, supportive housing can seamlessly fit in the neighbourhoods in which they are located.
Will the housing projects be throughout New Westminster, or just in one area?
The Ten-Year Supportive Housing and Wrap-Around Services Plan calls for an equitable distribution of supportive housing developments across the city and that all neighborhoods will play a role in supporting housing needs.
A selection of project sites should consider access to existing community services for future residents. This includes groceries, health care, pharmacies, support services—like training—and public transit.
Why doesn’t the 2025 Crises Response Roadmap advocate for more recovery services?
Ultimately, the 2025 Roadmap focuses mainly on gaps in service for those experiencing the three crises. There is a recognized need for a continuum of health services and supports to address the opioid epidemic and other substance use harms. This includes accessing harm reduction, detox, treatment and supportive recovery, as well as affordable, stable, secure and supportive housing for those in recovery.
New Westminster is home to a Health Contact Centre, which incorporates an overdose prevention site and other harm reduction services. Also known nationally as the Recovery Capital of Canada, this city is home to a number of substance use treatment and supportive recovery residents. As of 2025, the City is aware of 12 such related programs.
Why aren’t other levels of government addressing these situations?
While we appreciate the work being done by our provincial and federal partners, the City knows it must take action now.
As we do this work, the City of New Westminster will continue to advocate to senior government to provide resources and services related to housing and support services.
Are other municipalities doing this?
All municipalities are grappling with the three crises of homelessness, mental health and substance use. New Westminster experienced a 65% increase in homelessness between 2020 and 2023, while neighbouring municipalities experienced increases ranging from 65% to 91%.
Other municipalities are utilizing a variety of mandates and strategies to address their respective needs related to homelessness, mental health and substance use. For example, the Cities of Vancouver and Victoria have similar initiatives, and the City of Richmond recently established an outreach component.
What does the City hope to accomplish and when?
The CRPP, which will be funded and evaluated over two-years, is guided by a Five-Year Prevention, Support and Transition Services Plan and a Ten-Year Supportive Housing and Wrap-Around Services Plan. We invite you to read more about the work and both plans on the Crises Response Pilot Project’s web page.
What are Community Liaison Officers?
Community Liaison Officers (CLOs) can address a variety of issues. Some examples include calls related to sheltering, opening burning or a blocked doorway. They are a good first point of contact if you are a resident or a business owner experiencing some of the externalities related to the three crises.
Please visit their webpage for more details.
How do I get in touch with Community Liaison Officers?
You can email or call or text CLOs.
Please note: sending a message or phoning in a request does not mean an immediate response. The CLOs will reach out to you as soon as they can. We also ask that you provide the following information when reaching out to CLOs:
- Your name and your phone number, so they can return your call.
- An address.
- The reason for the call (e.g., you see a tent/structure in the community).
- Whether police and/or fire has been notified.
- Any other relevant details.
What is CRT Outreach?
CRT Outreach provides assistance, support and referral services to those experiencing the three crises.
Through relationship building and trust, they make connections and suggestions related to resources that may be applicable to someone’s situation, including food and meal programming, health services, identification retrieval, and shelter and supportive housing.
How do I get in touch with CRT Outreach?
CRT Outreach operates Monday to Friday between 8:30am and 4:30pm. They can be reached by email or phone.
Where can I find more details about the Crises Response Pilot Project?
We recommend regularly taking a look at our main CRPP page for the most up-to-date information regarding resources.
The City will also be posting updates related to the CRPP on its social media channels, which include Facebook, Instagram and X.
If you would like to download the latest version of our resource card, visit this link. Please note we also have a limited number of physical cards available at City Hall. You can find them on the spinning rack by our customer service desk.
How can I provide feedback about the CRPP?
Feedback about the Crises Response Pilot Project can be submitted to