City revisits “navigation hub” model

“A lot of the people that are living downtown are in a circumstance where they’re not super great at navigating anything,” Klassen said. “This would provide an opportunity for those services to be in one place, as well as provide an opportunity for those services to do the collaboration on site so that they don’t have to do a bunch of groundwork in order to try to connect people with the service.”

The resolution directs city administration to report back on the status of a recommendation originally made by council’s Select Standing Committee on Poverty Reduction, which wrapped up its work in 2021. That committee identified the need for a “navigation hub” as part of a broader series of measures aimed at addressing homelessness and poverty in Prince George.

Councillor Cori Ramsay, who served on that committee, says the renewed focus reflects the ongoing relevance of its findings and the continued need for improved access to supports.

“There are a lot of strategies that are being put in place,” Ramsay said. “Through advocacy to the province that are helping us provide more supports for the people who need them.”

However, Ramsay and others note that while new supports are being added, navigating the system remains complex for many people.

“It’s something that the province’s Poverty Reduction Advisory Committee has had conversations about,” Ramsay added. “There are a lot of challenges navigating the system, understanding what supports are available to you. Every situation is different—are you on disability, are you not? There are just so many different layers. So really having some supports there is important.”

The proposed hub model would aim to simplify that complexity by offering a coordinated, client-focused approach. Rather than requiring individuals to connect separately with multiple agencies, a centralized model could provide information, referrals and, potentially, direct access to multiple services under one roof.

Council’s resolution outlines three key steps for administration. First, staff are to report back on the status of the original recommendation. Second, they are to identify options for establishing a centralized service navigation model in Prince George. That includes exploring potential operating partners, partnership models, facility requirements, and funding opportunities. Finally, administration is to return to council with recommendations, implementation options, and associated costs before the 2027 budget process.

The timeline means the detailed proposal will likely land before a newly elected council, something Klassen acknowledges but does not see as a drawback.

“I think the election campaign will certainly inform all of the candidates that this is still a very important issue, as it was during the 2022 election campaign,” she said. “This will need to be addressed and we need to address it within the parameters that we are given by the federal government and the province.”

While the idea has support at council, it is still in its early stages, and key questions remain about how such a hub would operate. Those include governance, funding, and the roles of partner agencies.

A letter of support from the organization Oasis highlights both interest in the concept and caution about its implementation. In the letter, Oasis stated its endorsement is currently limited to the goal of improving access and coordination, noting it is not yet in a position to comment on governance, operational structure, or cost implications.

However, the organization expressed a willingness to remain involved in discussions.

“Oasis welcomes continued dialogue and looks forward to opportunities to share insights from our work supporting individuals who frequently encounter barriers when navigating community systems,” the statement read.

That perspective underscores one of the central challenges in developing a navigation hub—bringing together a wide range of agencies, each with its own mandate, resources and operational constraints.

Klassen acknowledged that coordination has historically been difficult.

“We’ve done so much work initially on setting the conditions so that we could remove the encampment at the Moccasin Flats encampment,” she said. “That was a lot of work and took up a lot of council time dealing with that.”

The removal of the Moccasin Flats encampment followed a lengthy and often contentious process, which included legal proceedings. A judge ultimately determined that sufficient housing options were available to dismantle the site, but its closure did not eliminate the broader challenges associated with homelessness and poverty in the city.

“And now that we have, I think we could all say that there’s sufficient housing—the judge certainly found that there’s sufficient housing—but we still have the problem on our streets,” Klassen said. “This is the effort to help people get to the point where they can start to get better.”

That sentiment reflects a growing recognition that housing alone does not resolve the complex needs faced by many individuals experiencing homelessness or vulnerability. Issues such as mental health, addiction, income stability and social support often intersect, requiring coordinated, multi-agency responses.

A navigation hub could potentially address that gap by focusing not just on access to services, but also on case coordination and ongoing support. By facilitating collaboration between organizations, proponents argue, the hub could reduce duplication of effort and improve outcomes for clients.

Still, the success of such a model will depend heavily on how it is designed and funded. Questions about location, staffing, operational costs and long-term sustainability will all need to be addressed before any hub can be established.

The requirement for a report ahead of the 2027 budget process reflects the scale of those considerations. Major new initiatives typically require both capital investment—such as acquiring or retrofitting a facility—and ongoing operating funding.

Funding partnerships with provincial and federal governments are also likely to be a key factor. Many of the supports that would be delivered through a hub fall under provincial jurisdiction, including health and social services, while federal programs can also play a role in housing and homelessness initiatives.

For now, council’s decision represents an early but significant step in revisiting the concept.

Klassen framed it as part of a broader effort to move toward a more supportive and recovery-oriented community.

“I think this is the best path forward—at least a beginning step,” she said. “This is not the final step. This is just one step towards becoming a more recovery-is-possible oriented society.”

The coming months and years will reveal how that vision takes shape, but for now, the renewed focus signals that easing access to services—and improving how those services work together—remains a top priority for city leaders.

by Cheryl Jahn

City revisits “navigation hub” model

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