Businesses on West Victoria Street that struggled while major road work was going on last year are dealing with a new issue.

Kamloops councillor Bill Sarai says he’s heard from a number of business owners who are seeing a rise in vandalism, trespassing and other petty crimes.

Sarai says they think it’s because of more social housing that has recently opened in that area.

“They all do wonderful services, don’t get me wrong. I support it, I think we need to help our population out. They’re someone’s brothers, sisters, sons. We need to help them,” Sarai says.

“My main concern is, and I’ll use an example, is if you live at home and you’ve got an uncontrollable teenager and every day, every night he’s out in your neighborhood causing havoc across the streets – leaving garbage, breaking bottles, spray-painting your house, walking through your belongings and then going home every night – would your neighbors be happy with you? No, and that’s what’s happening with West Vic.”

The most recent social housing to open on West Vic is a 42-unit social housing complex, which is run by the Canadian Mental Health Association.

“Through these four agencies and the drop-in people that come there that are new to the city, or they come new every night, they’re causing a lot of grief down there and the businesses are fed up. And they just need someone to hear them or come help them out.”

Speaking yesterday on the NL Morning News, Sarai did say that social agencies have a meeting planned with the city and with RCMP about that increase in crime.