Dan Fumano: Most homeless people are not violent and not all mentally ill people use drugs, or vice versa. But these issues are intertwined and B.C.'s municipal leaders say the combined problems seem to be getting worse.

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The wicked, intertwined nature of the problems facing B.C. communities of all sizes was described from the frustrated and fatigued perspectives of municipal politicians, staff, law enforcement and public health at the Union of B.C. Municipalities conference on Tuesday.

A community’s lack of housing leaves low-income people vulnerable to predatory slumlords and living in substandard conditions, exacerbating their mental-health problems.

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They soon find themselves homeless and, with no private space of their own, use drugs in public.

Public drug use sometimes creates conflict with other community members, turning public opinion against having supervised consumption sites and other harm-reduction services in communities.

But those harm-reduction services are crucial to keeping people alive, so that they can eventually seek treatment for their addictions and get healthier.

And when people do try to seek treatment for their addiction, it is often not available. So they find themselves on the street again, using drugs in dangerous situations.

And........

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