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Nanaimo residents address council on low-barrier housing plan

There were tears, passion, insults, heckling and even a little laughter Thursday night as residents finally had a chance to directly address city council regarding a proposed low barrier housing project at 1406 Bowen Rd.

There were tears, passion, insults, heckling and even a little laughter Thursday night as residents finally had a chance to directly address city council regarding a proposed low-barrier housing project at 1406 Bowen Rd.

It was the first time they had an opportunity to do so since the province and City of Nanaimo signed a memorandum of understanding in 2008 to build 160 housing units to support the city's homeless, some of whom are addicts, alcoholics or suffer from mental illness.

The project is part of the Action Plan For Homeless and Housing First strategies, which also includes the Vancouver Island Health Authority and Canadian Mental Health Association, in an attempt to get some of Nanaimo's estimated 300 homeless people permanent shelter. Nanaimo is expected to provide land for the facilities, while the province will kick in an estimated $34 million to build and staff each of the five sites.

The controversial issue could see as many as 36 units built in a four-storey facility a few hundred metres from Quarterway Elementary School (another 36-unit project is proposed for Townsite Road, just a few hundred metres on the other side of the school), prompting many residents to voice concern over the safety of their children and integrity of their neighbourhoods.

Many of the comments council heard, both for and against the rezoning of the property to allow for a 'wet house' facility, were emotional and personal.

"I was an addict," said one resident of nearby White Street. "And I needed to hit rock bottom before I could recover. I wasn't the vulnerable one, everybody else around me was. I stole from everybody to keep my habit going. I wouldn't be here today if I had been in a wet house. I'd still be an addict, or I'd be dead."

The hearing drew a packed house to the Shaw Auditorium. Many residents and their children sat on the floor while the overflow crowd spilled into the hallway of the 200-seat room. They all waited patiently for a chance to speak while nine other rezoning applications, which took almost three hours, were heard. The city also received 51 written submissions on the topic prior to the hearing.

While many accused council of not listening to the public's concerns, some did speak in favour of the  project.

"My two grandchildren attend Quarterway school and I volunteer at the extreme weather shelter that operates ... on Townsite Road, so I have contact with the clients using that shelter," said Lynn Burrows, who lives near the site of the proposed facility. "I myself have first-hand experience of being homeless and I am deeply concerned that if the rezoning amendment does not go through, we will forever lose the $34 million in provincial funding and the opportunity to end homelessness in Nanaimo."

Burrows said her experience with homelessness and working with the city's homeless leads her to believe  the real risk is not from having supportive housing, but from people in need not having their basic needs met.

"We all need food, shelter and the helpful support of the people around us," she said.

There was one moment of levity during the intense discussion when Mayor John Ruttan suggested children who wished to speak should be allowed to go first because of the late hour. When one young speaker smaller than the podium addressed council, Ruttan was prompted to ask, "is there anybody there?"

Several Quarterway students expressed concern that some of their friends were already looking for another school to attend, and they worried they may not be able to walk to school anymore.

Dave Seymour, a business owner, said few people oppose helping the homeless, but that having such a high concentration of addicts so close to a school is unacceptable. He also said a lot of the homeless problem rests with the provincial government.

"A lot of this started when the government started shutting down hospital beds in the psychiatric wards of hospitals," he said. "At least spread the sites around the city, we don't need two within 400 metres of a school. This is disgusting."

Several dozen people lined up to the podium. Only a few had the chance to speak due to time limitations. An extension of the meeting will take place Wednesday (April 20) at 7 p.m. at the Shaw Auditorium.

The public hearing was prompted by the first two readings of the rezoning application, which passed 7-1 earlier this month. Once the public hearing is complete, council will then vote on the third reading and possible adoption of the bylaw.

 

 

reporter2@nanaimobulletin.com