In this episode, you'll hear Charisma Crystal Thomas interview, Juls Budau about housing challenges and referring individuals to resources. Juls describes instances of people she knows being evicted from supportive housing and the lack of recourse for people in that position. She also discusses common misunderstandings about the concept of safer supply and how advocating for herself and her community can be challenging in her small community. Juls reflects on the difficulties faced when referring individuals to shelters, as well as barriers to getting individuals medical and mental health support.
Glossary
BCCDC: The BC Centre for Disease Control
CAI: Community Action Initiative.
Carrier Sekani Family Services: a non-profit society that provides social services, holistic health, and wellness services to Indigenous people living in Northern BC’s central region.
De-crim: Decriminalization
Downtown Eastside: The Downtown Eastside is a neighbourhood in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, known for having a large unhoused population, many of whom are affected by substance use disorder.
EOPS: Episodic Overdose Prevention Services
Foundry: a network of integrated health and wellness services for young people ages 12-24 in British Columbia.
INAC: Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada
OPS: Overdose Prevention Site
Quesnel: A city located in the Cariboo Regional District of British Columbia, Canada.
UNDU - Uniting Northern Drug Users
RainCity Housing: a non-profit society that provides housing and support programs for people experiencing homelessness and substance use issues, throughout BC's lower mainland

This episode was recorded on May 24, 2023.