People First Radio – January 29, 2026People First Radio – January 29, 2026
People First Radio
Residents and staff at a Nanaimo supportive housing site share honest stories about moving from homelessness toward safety, routine and community. The conversation highlights harm reduction, food, rules and respect as parts of early recovery and stabilisation.
0:00•30 Jan 2026
Safety, Supper and Second Chances at 1030 Old Victoria Road
Episode Overview
- Supportive housing at 1030 Old Victoria Road offers private rooms, shared facilities, and a basic expectation of respect, mirroring standard tenancy rules.
- Residents describe moving in after homelessness as a major shift toward safety, quiet, and privacy, which supports their physical and mental health.
- The site follows a harm reduction approach, accepting residents who use substances alongside those in recovery, while emphasising non-judgement and safety.
- Consistent, from-scratch meals and occasional fine dining-style dinners help rebuild nutrition, routine and a sense of dignity for residents.
- Staff with lived experience highlight that recovery is long-term, painful work, and stress the importance of empathy, open-mindedness and broad support options.
“There’s no easy way out. There’s no easy path. And suffering is part of the growth.”
What can we learn from those who have battled addiction and homelessness? This episode of People First Radio takes you right inside 1030 Old Victoria Road, a supportive housing site in Nanaimo, and lets residents and staff speak for themselves. Recorded on-site, the show has a calm, conversational feel. You’ll hear the clink of dishes, talk of “movie nights” and “colouring pages”, and plenty about real-world problems like food security, rent, and staying sober.
Manager Dolly Earl Smith lays out how residents are referred in stages from shelters, encampments and local organisations, stressing that “all different walks of life” live there and that the core rule is “basic respect, being good neighbours.” She also tackles community concerns around substance use policies, asking people to imagine whether their own neighbours should judge them for “a glass of wine at the end of my work shift.” Residents Norman and Jeannie offer candid, sometimes funny, sometimes heavy reflections on moving in after long stretches of homelessness.
It’s aimed at anyone curious about homelessness, recovery, and trauma-informed housing – from service providers and students to neighbours wondering what actually happens beyond the fence. Norman says arriving felt “like paradise” after years on the street, while Jeannie sums up the vibe as “just like a little small community, loving people,” adding, “we’re not bad people.
We just fell in hard times.” Housing support worker JB brings lived experience of severe alcoholism and injection drug use, sharing how “there’s no easy way out” and how pain and detox are part of long-term change.
Red seal chef Joseph Thomas rounds things off with talk of meatless Mondays, fine dining Fridays and how proper meals help people say, “their bodies feel great now.” If you’re interested in how housing, food, harm reduction and respect can help people rebuild, this conversation might get you thinking: what would it feel like if safety, warmth and a hot dinner were your first steps out of survival mode?
Do you want to link to this podcast?
Get the buttons here!
More From This Show
The latest episodes from the same podcast.
Related Episodes
Similar episodes from other shows in the catalogue.