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Fatal Overdose Sparks Changes in B.C. Supportive Housing Procedures

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.
Her death prompted scrutiny of supportive housing conditions amid reports of open drug use and failures in wellness check procedures at the recently opened facility.
The Foxglove facility, opened in 2022, has 130 units including supportive homes, complex care, and shelter beds, and operates under a harm-reduction framework with onsite overdose prevention services.
Following Diane's death, the Provincial Residential Tenancy regulation was amended to allow wellness checks if tenants are unseen for 48 hours, and RainCity Housing increased staff training to improve identification accuracy during checks.
Critics called Diane's death a failure of safeguards and urged independent investigations, drug-free supportive housing, and expanded addiction support, noting open drug use stems partly from provincial decriminalization policies.

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