Needles, drugs and even feces being left behind by drug users and the homeless has led a downtown Kelowna business to install gates in front of all 6 of its entrances.
“They’ve been using our building as a place to sleep, as a place to use the bathroom, as a place to leave their garbage,” says Steve Harvey, Owner of Business Finders Canada located on Leon Ave “And it just became a little too much to be cleaning after them.”
He says it’s not only a nuisance to clear the alcoves every morning but also a safety issue for employees in the building, and the problem has only gotten worse.
“We’ve been down here now for about 5 years and this particular summer in my opinion was definitely the worse that we’ve seen for the homeless crowd.”
A number of other businesses in the area also have gates in front of their entrance to block people from gathering and doing illicit activities.
Harvey says the gates will cost him about $9,000.
Earlier this year, the city formed a new task force meant to develop a long term strategy to address homelessness.
Harvey feels as though the problem has been talked about for years with little change.