There was overwhelming support at city council Monday (Sept. 23) for the last of three supportive housing projects for individuals experiencing homelessness.
The final 60 tiny homes will be built on property at 3199 Appaloosa Road. Area residents are unhappy itâs coming to their neighbourhood citing concerns over safety, theft, vandalism, and drug use.
Councillor Ron Cannan addressed concerns about the potential for a "wet facility," where drugs and alcohol consumption would be allowed.
âAs a city, a good neighbour policy, and the concerns weâve heard why canât we mandate that this be a high barrier, sober facility,â he said.
Mayor Tom Dyas pointed to the success at other supportive sites in the city, and provincial recognition at the recent Union of BC Municipalities Convention.
âAppaloosa also follows through on our commitment to strive for a balanced distribution of support throughout Âé¶čAV,â Dyas added. âOther municipalities in B.C. are looking for us to support and advance the delivery of similar projects.â
Coun. Luke Stack noted the city promised to deliver 180 supportive units, which are spread over sites on Crowley Avenue, Highway 97 North and Appaloosa Rd.
âPersonally, Iâm going to take a duck on this,â he said. âWeâve had great success with the first two properties and Iâm proud to stand behind this as a third site. I know there are concerns. I donât care what corner of our city you put this in we would have concerns.â
Coun. Gord Lovegrove also acknowledged residentsâ concerns, adding addressing homelessness is a council priority.
âI just want you to appreciate how much effort your council and city staff are putting into this to make sure that you have a quality of life in your neighbourhood that you can be comfortable with and proud of that will not be altered.â
The three sites are part of the provincial governmentsâ Homeless Encampment Action Response Team (HEART) and Homeless Encampment Action Response Temporary Housing (HEARTH) programs.
BC Housing will oversee the development at 3199 Appaloosa Road, owned by the city and leased to the province, and will hire a social service agency to operate the facility which is scheduled to open in winter 2025.
Council voted to rezone the property, allowing the project to move forward, with Cannan opposed.
