At the end of National Addictions Awareness Week, we’re still dealing with an epidemic. 

By Bill Briscall | November 30, 2024

Today is the last day of National Addictions Awareness Week, an opportunity to highlight solutions to address drug-related harms. Something that’s barely been mentioned in this sector during the last seven days is the ongoing drug poisoning epidemic, declared a public health emergency over eight years ago.  When the drug poisoning epidemic is brought up in …

Truth and Reconciliation and Anti-racism

By Bill Briscall | September 30, 2024

RainCity’s Manager of Communications & Fund Development shares his personal thoughts as a non-Indigenous person who works alongside Indigenous and non-Indigenous coworkers at a non-Indigenous organization.   I’m writing this as the sun sets on the National Day of Truth and Reconciliation, also known as Orange Shirt Day. Many events took place today for both Indigenous …

Why are Overdose Prevention Sites needed in every community? 

By Bill Briscall | August 28, 2024

“They really do save lives.” That’s the short answer. Jennifer Conway-Brown, a harm-reduction lead with Fraser Health shared this in a recent Vancouver Sun article. Lori Culbert from the Sun visited a number of Metro Vancouver OPS (Overdose Prevention Sites), including the Thomus Donaghy OPS that RainCity operates in Vancouver’s Downtown.  Since moving to a …

We are looking for people to join our Board! 

By Bill Briscall | January 10, 2024

RainCity Housing wishes to acknowledge that we operate programs on the stolen, unceded, ancestral, traditional homelands of the kʷikʷəƛ̓əm, q̓íc̓əy̓, qiqéyt, qʼʷa:n̓ƛʼən̓, sc̓əwaθən məsteyəxʷ, səl̓ílwətaʔɬ, SEMYOME, shíshálh, Sḵwx̱wú7mesh, ˈstɔːloʊ and Xʷməθkwəy̓əm Nations. The Opportunity  We are seeking individuals to join our Board of Directors, ideally with prior board experience. We are actively recruiting Directors who reflect the diversity of the people that we work alongside and with experience/background in …

We are standing up against anti-trans discrimination 

By Bill Briscall | September 19, 2023

On September 20th there are rallies planned across the country directly attacking the 2SLGBTQIA+ community and the principles of equity and inclusion, principles which RainCity Housing continues to work to make real throughout the organization. In solidarity with the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, RainCity is speaking out against these rallies both internally and externally.   The planned events in …

An Open Letter to Ensure Inclusive Language

By Bill Briscall | May 5, 2023

“Our wish is to dismantle this (binary gender) bias and ensure a safe space for our employees by ensuring that all forms, documents and paperwork show respect for our employees’ identities.”

Our Statement on the East Hastings Decampment

By Bill Briscall | April 14, 2023

As a witness to the recent decampment efforts on East Hastings, RainCity Housing is choosing to publicly express its extreme concern about the current and ongoing impacts of the approach taken on individuals and communities of people in the DTES area.  Members of the DTES community continue to experience extreme hardship and tragic loss of …

Foxglove is Open!

By Bill Briscall | April 29, 2022

Foxglove is open! As of today, over 60 people have moved.  BC Housing arranged a formal event on Thursday, April 21 where all levels of government attended to acknowledge publicly the need for places like Foxglove that have the added component of enhanced health supports that are on-site, like nurses and the Managed Alcohol Program. It …

COVID-19 Response October 2020 Update (revised November 9)

By Bill Briscall | October 29, 2020

NEW: Due to the public health order issued on Nov 7, 2020, we’ve made temporary changes to the following information, dated Nov 9 to Nov 23 and in bold font. Hello to everyone! We’ve been keeping our heads down, working hard during the pandemic, and wanted to provide an update on how we’re addressing COVID-19 …

Pendants Provide Purpose during a Pandemic

By Bill Briscall | May 28, 2020

“They were very popular and sold out in less than 2 days. I completely ran out of materials and was even taking apart my old ones to re-construct the new!” Tina Pali makes beautiful pendants, a creative outlet that combines many of her passions – art, the outdoors, even her husband! – and she found …