John Rustad claimed yesterday that the NDP’s treatment bed numbers were a “bold faced lie.” In fact, substance use low barrier housing has been included in B.C.’s treatment bed count since 2011 under John Rustad’s government.

In March 2017, Rustad’s BC Liberals put out a press release stating that there are “more than 2,700 substance-use treatment beds throughout the province,” and mentioning the clinical services “available in supported housing or shelters for people with the most complex health needs.”
FOI records also show that the BC Liberals, including when John Rustad was in cabinet, were counting low barrier supportive housing as well (for example, p. 24)
None of the 650 treatment beds opened since 2017 under the BC NDP are substance use low barrier housing beds. They are all core treatment beds, including sobering beds, withdrawal management, transition and stabilization, supportive recovery and residential treatment beds.
There is much more work to do, and the BC NDP continues to open treatment beds so that help is there when people reach out for it.