Wells announces two safe houses for people with mental health challenges

The Davis administration is planning to purchase two safe houses — one for men and another for women — to provide shelter and support for people living with mental health challenges, Minister of State for Health and Wellness Owen Wells says.

Wells said the facilities are intended to provide a safe space for people with mental illnesses who are living on the streets while also addressing concerns about public safety.

The minister said his ministry is preparing to take a proposal to Cabinet seeking approval to purchase the properties.

“My ministry will be bringing a paper to the Cabinet so that we can purchase these safe houses where people that suffer from mental difficulties, they will have a safe space,” Wells said.

He said once the facilities are secured, people living on the streets who are identified as having mental health challenges could be moved into the safe houses where they can receive support.

“Once we get those, you would see people who we deem to have mental challenges on the street in safe spaces,” Wells said. “We would move them in there so that the public will feel secure.”

The proposed facilities would form part of the government's efforts to provide greater support for people living with mental health challenges while reducing the number of vulnerable individuals living on the streets.