I am someone who unfortunately does have a ton of experience with hospital parking, and I am thrilled that there will be more spaces (and covered!). That lot can be a really hot mess, especially in the winter. The one way down the middle often becomes barely wide enough to squeeze a car through.
When someone purchases a rental property it is not standard practice to deduct future rents from the purchase price. Using that tactic one could claim the city got the Knight's Inn free because the rent will total the purchase price in just over 7 years. The purchase price is over 3 times the assessed value and I doubt you will find that happening on residential properties.
For almost as long as I can recall we have been hearing of "Downtown Revitalization" which doesn't seem to show up. Certainly there have been some improvements and construction but the city cannot save the area on its own by building civic facilities there.
Will moving the unhoused people into these buildings change their behaviour and appearance or will people continue to feel unsafe or uncomfortable downtown? This is not a simple issue, there being deep rooted issues at play that are not vanquished by having a roof over one's head.
You are correct that giving people a place to live won't immediately fix all of the systemic, long-lasting issues that lead to people being unhoused. However, it greatly improves their lives: they now have a warm and secure place to sleep and store their belongings; they have access to a private bathroom where they can shower; they have an address; and they have easy access to social support services. All of these are necessary for folks to feel safe, find employment, and continue to better their lives. Additionally, these housing units allow a family (such as a couple, or parent with adult child, or even two friends) to stay together, which is extremely rare to find within the temporary emergency shelter system and dissuades people from accessing those resources.
Opening these housing units will have a positive impact on all residents of Prince George. There is still a lot of work to be done, especially on the systemic problems such as racism, generational trauma, and the opioid crisis, but safe and secure housing is a tremendous step in the right direction.
I am someone who unfortunately does have a ton of experience with hospital parking, and I am thrilled that there will be more spaces (and covered!). That lot can be a really hot mess, especially in the winter. The one way down the middle often becomes barely wide enough to squeeze a car through.
When someone purchases a rental property it is not standard practice to deduct future rents from the purchase price. Using that tactic one could claim the city got the Knight's Inn free because the rent will total the purchase price in just over 7 years. The purchase price is over 3 times the assessed value and I doubt you will find that happening on residential properties.
For almost as long as I can recall we have been hearing of "Downtown Revitalization" which doesn't seem to show up. Certainly there have been some improvements and construction but the city cannot save the area on its own by building civic facilities there.
Will moving the unhoused people into these buildings change their behaviour and appearance or will people continue to feel unsafe or uncomfortable downtown? This is not a simple issue, there being deep rooted issues at play that are not vanquished by having a roof over one's head.
You are correct that giving people a place to live won't immediately fix all of the systemic, long-lasting issues that lead to people being unhoused. However, it greatly improves their lives: they now have a warm and secure place to sleep and store their belongings; they have access to a private bathroom where they can shower; they have an address; and they have easy access to social support services. All of these are necessary for folks to feel safe, find employment, and continue to better their lives. Additionally, these housing units allow a family (such as a couple, or parent with adult child, or even two friends) to stay together, which is extremely rare to find within the temporary emergency shelter system and dissuades people from accessing those resources.
The recent profiles of unhoused folks in the Citizen have been wonderful, and I'm specifically thinking of this article about Danielle Willier: https://www.princegeorgecitizen.com/local-news/moccasin-flats-shooting-victim-hopes-to-get-housing-7710206
Opening these housing units will have a positive impact on all residents of Prince George. There is still a lot of work to be done, especially on the systemic problems such as racism, generational trauma, and the opioid crisis, but safe and secure housing is a tremendous step in the right direction.