VIDEO: The view from Kelowna's skid road

| July 10, 2019 in Video

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Recent housing projects for the homeless have stirred up a lot of hard feelings.

Nowhere are the feelings harder, however, than on the 200 block of Leon Avenue.

KelownaNow paid a visit to the infamous block to hear from some of the people with the most at stake. 

"I need a home," said one. "I could use a roof over my head," said another. 

When asked about why she was on the street, one woman said "they took away my van and called me homeless."

"Yeah, as long as there isn't too many conditions," said one young man with the signs of intravenous drug use clearly visible on his arm.  

On the 200 Block of Leon Avenue there's a courtyard that was created to give people a place to spend their time, but very few use it because there are rules against drugs and alcohol there. Instead, they choose the sidewalk. 

Sgt. Greg Woodcox of the Kelowna RCMP stopped by while KelownaNow was on scene. Nobody knows the regulars in this part of town like "Woody." 

He said getting some of these people into housing could be challenging.

"There's tons of people that want to help everybody out here," he said, "but the reciprocation in terms of them to do what's required, show up for meetings, complete forms is very difficult for these people."

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