Her son's body lay in a supportive housing building for 3 days. Years later, she says little has changed
CBC
Shawn Richards died at the age of 37 after ingesting toxic drugs in the room of a supportive housing building where he was living in 2017. It took three days for staff to find his body.
Shawn's mother, Cyndie Richards, was already haunted by the fact that her son's lifeless body lay behind a locked door for so long.
But Richards says learning almost the same thing happened to Diane Chandler seven years later "chilled her to the bone."
She says after Shawn's death, a manager at RainCity promised her that as a result of the mistake, wellness checks on tenants in the facility would be performed every eight to 12 hours, instead of every 24.
"I just thought, 'Oh my god, you haven't done anything, and you promised me you would,'" she said.
Richards and Chandler's two children say the delay in finding their loved ones' bodies reveals gaps in B.C.'s supportive housing systems, and the dangers of using drugs behind closed doors in facilities meant to help those struggling with mental health and addiction.
"I didn't make a big scene at the time; I took them at their word [that] a horrendous mistake had been made ... And then to find this indignity was done," said Richards.
In a statement, B.C. Housing said, "We are deeply saddened by any loss of life and extend our condolences to the family and friends of this individual. The safety of residents is always our top priority. "
The statement said in 2017, B.C. Housing "strengthened requirements in operating agreements for providers to verify resident safety when residents had not been seen for an extended period of time, not exceeding 48 hours."
RainCity Housing did not respond to a CBC News request for comment.
Richards said the testimonies of Chandler's two children brought back vivid memories of her own son's body being found, exactly seven years earlier.
"Now they have to have the heartache like I did of knowing that my son's lifeless body lay there without someone coming to take his body away, letting his family know," she said.
"It's just unbearable."
Chandler, who had long suffered depression and addiction, died on April 20th in the Foxglove complex housing facility in Surrey in 2024.
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