To the editor,
Re: Mayor says institutionalizing mentally ill who are homeless part of multi-faceted solution, Dec. 19.
Finally! This call for institutionalized care for homeless, mentally ill individuals is so overdue it begs belief.
To see the pitiful state individuals have sunk to in this city – in Canada – is heart-breaking and criminal.
Shame on the decision makers who closed institutions all those years ago promising better care in halfway houses. This is the outcome and sadly there is no accountability for those decision makers.
Institutions were far from ideal and in need of overhaul but seemingly better than existing – barely – and dying on the streets.
Now having made the plea for a more compassionate and helpful treatment, may it be quickly expedited and not take years to study.
S.M. Redmond, Nanaimo
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