Duncan needs a recovery home now - Lets Come Together
The Crisis Is Real; And It's Only Getting Worse
When we launched this petition, we shared some alarming statistics about homelessness and addiction in Duncan. Sadly, the numbers have only grown more urgent since then, and we want to make sure every supporter understands exactly what is at stake.
In 2023, 406 individuals experienced homelessness right here in Duncan, and a staggering 81% of those cases were chronic, meaning these are not people passing through. These are our neighbours, trapped in a cycle with nowhere stable to go and no structured support to help them break free.
The overdose crisis layered on top of this is devastating. Emergency overdose calls in Duncan and North Cowichan alone surged 21%, from 819 to 997 calls in a single year.
In 2025, approximately 80 individuals were poisoned within a single 24-hour period in Cowichan, completely depleting naloxone supplies at the CMHA shelter. Vancouver Island as a whole reports some of the highest overdose death rates anywhere in the country, between 62 and 109 deaths per 100,000 people.
These are not just numbers. These are lives.
What We Are Asking For:
Our ask is focused and achievable: a dedicated recovery home with 10 - 20 beds specifically for homeless individuals in Duncan who are battling addictions. This kind of facility would:
- Provide immediate shelter and safety for people at the highest risk of overdose
- Offer a structured, supported path toward recovery, not just survival
- Reduce the crushing pressure on Duncan's emergency services and shelter system
- Give frontline workers the tools they need to actually help people heal
Here Is What You Can Do Today To Help Motion This Petition
Share this petition, post it on Facebook, send it in a text, bring it up at work or at your place of worship. Personal recommendations are the single most powerful driver of petition signatures.
Email or call your local representatives, Duncan Mayor and Council, your Cowichan Valley MLA, and your MP. Tell them in your own words that you support a recovery home in Duncan, and that you expect them to act on the HEARTH program opportunity now.
Tell your story if you have been personally affected by homelessness, addiction, or the overdose crisis in the Cowichan Valley, your story can change minds in a way statistics never can. Share it publicly if you feel safe doing so, or send it to us directly.
The city we love deserves real solutions not displacement, not temporary band-aids, but a genuine community of healing where people can recover with dignity. Please share this petition today and help us reach the next milestone.
Thank you for standing with Duncan's most vulnerable residents.