Millar Addition residents want homeless camp shut down as a condition of supporting supportive housing

And a whole lot of things to do this weekend. Plus, Canada's Worst Airport? I think not

Apr 19, 2024

At Monday’s meeting, council is going to consider granting a temporary use permit for the province, through B.C. Housing, to build a temporary housing project at the end of 3rd Ave, below the Millar Addition and adjacent to the current Mocassin Flats site. Here’s the location via Google Street view — you can see the camp on the right, with the Millar Addition above.

The proposal itself is for 43 “temporary supportive homes” that would open this fall and be in place for an initial timeline of three years. From the proposal, “modular construction will be used for these homes—similar to what is used in logging or mining camps. Each unit is a private room. There will also be shared washrooms, laundry and kitchen facilities, and an amenity space. These homes are scheduled to open in fall 2024.” You can find more on the project here.

B.C. Housing held a public feedback session earlier this year, which we’ll get to, and in Monday’s council agenda there are 25 letters from people in the neighbourhood giving their feedback on the proposal.

On the agenda, the city lists 12 letters that are opposed to the proposal, one that is in support, on with “concerns,” one with “request for additional actions” and then 10 that are classified as “conditional support.” In my read, the “request for additional actions” is similar to “conditional support” and the “concerns” is pretty much opposed but may could be convinced, so it’s roughly a 50-50 split between outright opposition and those who aren’t outright opposed to the project, but have an if or two attached to that support — as in, I am in favour of this if.

And that if is if the project comes with security measures and leads to the dismantling of Mocassin Flats. This letter is fairly representative of what the others had to say, and I’m posting it in full:

Dear Mayor and Council,
I have lived in the Millar Addition for over 55 years. The current challenges facing our neighbourhood are serious and require immediate action.
The air quality in our area is consistently poor. It is often difficult to breathe and limits time spent outdoors. The air is often filled with the smell of toxins and chemicals from the garbage and waste being burnt in the open fires at the Lower Patricia Encampment.
Fires consistently burn out of control and the attendance of the Fire Department is required. We have experienced at least two serious fires this month that have jeopardized the safety of some homes above the encampment. The smoke lingered for days and many residents required PPEs to breathe. Open burning and the approaching dry conditions could lead to a disastrous situation.
Our neighbourhood is home to an elementary school, senior’s facility, preschool and soon to be completed daycare. Many residents of the city visit daily to enjoy LTMP, and the Heritage Trails.
The health of the people of this city is at risk. Action needs to be taken now to prevent long term health issues for all residents.
The increase in crime has escalated in the Millar Addition in the past 3 years. Residents are subjected to theft and vandalism during the day and night. Some neighbours have been confronted by threats and verbal abuse. Others, including at least 2 seniors have experienced break-ins and home invasions.
This is unacceptable and we should not have to live in fear in our own homes and community.
I am in favour of the temporary B.C. Housing project on 3rd Avenue.
However if current conditions remain, the potential residents will be put at the same risks as the residents of Millar Addition. It is unsafe and unhealthy for people to be housed across from the encampment. In order for the residents and the program to be a success the encampment needs to be dismantled, cleaned up and cordoned off.
If you offer people an opportunity for life improvement, then provide them the best conditions available to succeed. It is possible.
Thank you for time and the opportunity to bring your attention to these issues.

As I said, this is a fairly representative letter of the letters — roughly half — that express support for the 3rd Ave. project while also outlining their hope that their support be met with a commitment to see the end of the encampment that has been in the neighbourhood for the past four years. They are not, in my read, NIMBYs — in fact, they are saying “yes, in my backyard” — if this is part of an overall plan to end the need for the encampment overall.

(If you want to read the other letters they are available here — click on item E6 and then there will be a list of pdfs in blue that pop up on the side. I recommend using a computer — here’s a visual representation of what that looks like).

As it happens, this was similar to what was heard by B.C. Housing in their feedback sessions, and this is how it was addressed — I am quoting at length because of the high interest in this project, but there is a lot more which you can read here. First, here’s the section on security — ie, what will be done to stop this from further contributing to neighbourhood problems:

Safety and security
Many participants, particularly those living in the Millar Addition neighbourhood, asked questions about safety and security, including:
the proposed security features of the site
an increase in criminal activity in the area as a result of this project
Whether firearms will be authorized in the housing
Presenters responded that the site will have a full fence with controlled access to the parking area and pedestrian entrances. Cameras and lighting will be strategically placed for security purposes.
There will also be a minimum of three staff members on site 24/7. These staff will be experienced in supporting vulnerable populations and have established relationships with local people experiencing homelessness. Their focus will be on aiding those in need, and weapons are banned in the buildings.
Operations and support services
Some of the questions were on the theme of the operations of the site and the support services that will be offered to the residents, including:
The number of staff members that will be on site to manage the building and provide services to its residents
The rules and risk of eviction
Presenters responded that there will also be a minimum of three staff members on site 24/7. Staff members will be provided by the operator and funded by BC Housing.
Tenancies will fall under the Residential Tenancy Act (RTA). It is important to note that supportive housing units such as these will be exempt from sections of the RTA that prohibit guest policies and wellness checks. Evictions are not taken lightly in supportive housing. When needed, additional resources and supports are provided to each resident to ensure a successful tenancy and prevent the need for eviction. If eviction becomes necessary, BC Housing will seek other appropriate accommodation and not return a person to homelessness.

Then there’s the big one — will building this come with the elimination of the camp? Here’s the response:

The court-protected encampment nearby
Many participants, particularly those from the Millar Addition neighbourhood, asked questions relating to the court-protected encampment near the site on Lower Patricia Boulevard, including:
When/whether the encampment will be closed
Why it has taken so long to develop this (temporary) solution
Presenters shared that the encampment is currently protected by a court order. BC Housing is actively developing several facilities across the housing spectrum to address the needs of the community. The proposed transitional housing project is meant to provide stability and support to unhoused people in their transition into supportive and independent housing, which is the ultimate goal.
The emergence of encampments is an urgent matter across the province. Provincial initiatives like the HEARTH program were established just last year to take a more comprehensive approach to support unhoused people.
The process of development can also be lengthy. Development traditionally takes years to initiate, but BC Housing is committed to expediting the process for permanent supportive housing. BC Housing is now actively pursuing permanent housing solutions with 50 purpose-built supportive units already planned for 1st Avenue, and an additional 150 units of supportive housing in the works.

This doesn’t fully answer the question as presented so I’ll be a bit more straightforward: Neither the city, nor B.C. Housing, nor the province get to decide when the camp can be shut down. It is protected by the courts until such a time that the city can show there is no longer a need for the camp to exist because of reasonable alternatives. This would require going back to the court with a request to dismantle the camp, along with evidence that there are places for whoever is still living there to move to if the camp is gone.

I can’t answer the question of exactly when this might happen or what that looks like, just that the last two times this case went to court the city was completely unable to indicate there was anywhere else for people living in the camp to go if it were to be shut down. Once this is built that will have changed — the city will be able to point to 43 units right beside the camp, the 50 new units along 1st Ave and the 100+ new units that will, if things go to plan, have opened at the various hotels and motels that have been purchased by the province over the past two years.

Based on what I’ve seen elsewhere, this doesn’t mean the city will have needed to completely eliminated homelessness but the addition of 200 new units in two years could well be enough to convince the courts that a camp that houses roughly 50 people is no longer needed. That’s just an educated guess, mind you — but I can pretty much guarantee that new spaces not being built or opened is the easiest way to keep the camp as a permanent fixture of the city. And I’m sure the city knows this, which means they are somewhat up against it when it comes to the decision of whether to approve this project or not. From what I’ve read in this correspondence it seems a lot of residents of the Millar Addition are aware of this to and recognize this project as the less-bad option over the camp, for both themselves and the people living there. The hope — one I expect a lot of people share — is they don’t wind up with both.

News roundup:

The school district is facing a $2 million budget shortfall and is looking for your feedback on what to cut.
The Regional District approved a $500,000 loan to Exploration Place.
The Cougars are looking at another sell-out crowd and restaurants are reaping the rewards.
The Humane Society has set up a program to help people understand their pets, rather than surrender them.
The Two Rivers Gallery is the only venue in Canada to host a new exhibit on the impact of the prison program on visual art.
One of those random company rankings has named YXS the worst airport in Canada. Reddit vehemently disagrees and, frankly, so do I: This is not an airport where you have layovers and are in need of lots to do. You want to get in and out and have somewhere to sit while you wait, and it accomplishes that. The one caveat: It would be nice if there was transit to-from.

And in a non-comprehensive list of things happening this weekend:

Saturday:

Sunday:

What’d I miss? Leave a comment:

northern capital news

Discussion about this post