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Surrey overdose death prompts call for supportive housing changes

Diane Chandler, a 60-year-old woman, died of a drug overdose in April 2023 at Foxglove Supportive Housing in Surrey, and her body was not found for 11 days.
Foxglove Supportive Housing, which began operating in 2022, consists of 130 units that include 66 supportive residences, along with 34 beds for complex care and 30 shelter spaces, and follows a harm-reduction policy permitting substance use on the premises.
Tyler Gibbs, Diane’s son, reported witnessing open drug use and finding 14 crack pipes and syringes when collecting his mother’s belongings, while government officials cited misidentification during wellness checks as a failure.
The Provincial Residential Tenancy regulation has been updated to allow wellness checks when tenants have not been observed for 48 hours, and BC Housing instructed RainCity Housing to notify them of any critical incidents within a 12-hour timeframe, alongside enhancing staff training.
Opposition critics call Diane’s death a tragedy and systemic failure linked to allowing open drug use and warehousing addiction, urging independent investigations, drug-free supportive housing, and expanded mental health services.

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