New Westminster won’t have a public hearing about a controversial supportive housing project but it will set up some sort of engagement process with community members.
The Lower Mainland Purpose Society is proposing to create up to 30 beds at 422 Sixth St. for people who are or are at risk of or are experiencing homelessness. The proposal is to allow supportive housing to be located in the top two floors of the existing four-storey commercial building, with 24/7 staff support and catering services being provided on-site.
On Monday, council received a report that included a staff recommendation that council consider the zoning amendment bylaw and that no public hearing be required as part of consideration of this supportive housing project.
What’s proposed?
During a presentation to council, staff stressed that supportive housing – not a homeless shelter – is being proposed at the site.
“Supportive housing is very different from a minimal barrier emergency shelter, with the latter providing nightly or short-term shelter; offering limited or no supports; having few barriers with regard to a placement; and accepting individuals who may be active in their addiction,” said a staff report. “Supportive housing is also very different from an overdose prevention or supervised consumption site, with the latter facilitating witnessed consumption while on site and serving that larger community, including through the distribution of harm reduction supplies.”
John Stark, supervisor of community planning, confirmed there had been some concerns raised about the nightly shelter that the Purpose Society operates in the old Army & Navy Department Store building. He said individuals staying in a shelter have “more challenging circumstances” while people who would live in supportive housing are in a more stable state and would have to go through an intake process to live in the building.
After a flyer titled Keep Our Community Safe – Say No to the Proposed Homeless Shelter at 422 Sixth St. was distributed in the neighbourhood, the city sent out a letter to community members clarifying the difference between a homeless shelter and supportive housing.
Stark said this housing style is intended for individuals with low incomes who have experienced or who are at risk of homelessness.
“These individuals benefit from supports to assist them with their successful tenancy and transition to more independent living,” he said.
Supports that would be provided to residents of the supportive housing project include: budgeting and life skills; counselling and health; education and employment readiness; meal preparation and nutrition; and community connections and referrals.
“Individuals go through an intake process as per their suitability, including their comfort in living in a communal setting, the receptivity to engage in supports and a willingness to sign a commitment as to these and other expectations,” Stark said. “This housing is not designed or intended to accommodate individuals who may be active in their addiction.”
In response to questions from community members about why the housing would include communal bathrooms and kitchens for the residents, Stark said there would be an “additional complexity” to add a large number of private bathrooms and kitchenettes to the 1962 building and the desire to maximize the total number of supportive housing units in the building.
Public hearing?
Coun. Daniel Fontaine proposed an amendment to the staff recommendation that would have required the city to hold a public hearing on the issue.
“I do support the public hearing,” he said. “I think if we're going to have other projects like this come forward, and if we're going to try to build community support, rushing this in, not having a public hearing and not educating the public is not the way to do it. Because it's going to get tougher and tougher and tougher as we go into communities and they look back at projects that didn't have the opportunity for the community to be involved and to be engaged.”
In a 5-2 vote, council voted against holding a public hearing as part of this rezoning application.
Coun. Nadine Nakagawa said she’d prefer a process that includes genuine engagement with the community and talks about ways to make projects better.
“I am troubled by what that often public hearings just become a platform for stigma about people who are members of our community,” she said.
Nakagawa suggested the public engagement could include a discussion about ways to make this project stronger, such as through the inclusion of a good neighbourhood agreement and the formation of a community advisory committee.
“I would prefer to actually have more conversation, rather than provide a platform for potential stigma,” she said. “Yeah, I am troubled by what I hear, I'm saddened, actually, by some of the comments from folks.”
Coun. Tasha Henderson said all council members have expressed support for expediting non-profit housing proposals. She didn’t support having a public hearing for this application.
“Because there's no back and forth during the public hearing, I think that what is really valuable would be deeper community conversations,” she said. “So I think that is what I will support at this time.”
Mayor Patrick Johnstone said he doesn’t support taking supportive housing projects of this type to a public hearing because he doesn’t believe that process improves people’s understanding of how a project operates or what it means to a neighbourhood. He feels public hearings quite often result in stigmatizing language, which erodes the public trust in the process.
“I've heard some things today that I do not want to hear in a public hearing that I do not want people who need supportive housing in our community to have to come into this chamber and prostrate themselves in front of this council while being stigmatized by other members of their community, in order to receive the supportive housing they need,” he said. “So I encourage people who are in support or not in support of this project to reach out to mayor and council, to send us emails or phone calls. But I do not think a public hearing is the form of engagement that's actually going to inform this project or help us make better decisions about this project.”
Instead of a public hearing, council voted 5-2 vote in favour of directing staff to develop a public engagement session about this project that is dialogue-based and centres the well-being of people in need of supportive housing.
Jackie Teed, acting director of climate action, planning and development, said staff could work on developing an information session to provide information about the project.
Neighbours concerns
While no public hearing will be held about this application, council members noted they have been receiving a lot of correspondence from the community about the project. At Monday’s meeting, several residents spoke as delegations about the application, three in opposition and one in support.
Area residents expressed concern about potential negative impacts on the neighbourhood if the project is approved at the proposed location.
Penny Fisher said the back of the building where the supportive housing would be located is her front yard, and she is “terrified” of what could happen if a 30-bed facility is built on that site. She expressed concern that the supportive housing project would have negative impacts on residences, businesses and daycare centres in the area, including increased crime, vandalism and nuisance behaviours.
“The proposed building is too close to the residential and prime area of business in New Westminster. The proposal is not in a suitable area for supportive housing and will have a negative effect,” she told council. “Please vote no to the proposal at this location in order to keep our community safe. Consider moving it to a safer location for all, such as near the police station, hospital or Columbia Street where there are other support facilities where help is more readily available and where there is less danger to residents of New Westminster.”
New West resident Jack York expressed support for the project, saying stable, affordable and accessing housing is the key to addressing people’s mental and physical health issues.
“The reality is there are many services for mental health, physical health, substance use and disability that are located within walking distance of this particular site. I think that that makes a big difference in terms of the ability to collaborate with those other services to meet these clients’ needs,” he said. “In my view, a community is safer when people have a safe and appropriate place to live.
York said he wants to live in a compassionate city that sets an example for other municipalities.
“We shouldn't try to beat the other cities to the bottom – I don't think we should compare ourselves in light of how little other cities do but, rather, we should set an example that other cities can follow,” he said. “This is what it's going to take to actually meaningfully address the housing crisis that we are in, which gets continually worse. And that is having a huge impact on our health-care system, on the safety of our communities, And on our overall well-being as citizens.”
Housing needed
According to the City of New Westminster, the housing needs report, prepared in June 2021, identified the need for 358 supportive housing units in New West between 2021 and 2031.
“Of this number, 52 units are being developed at 68 Sixth St. which is in our downtown, with an occupancy date in mid-2024 or early 2025,” Stark said. “These units will account for 14.5 per cent of the needed total. …The up to 30 units proposed for 422 Sixth St., if approved, would account for 8.4 per cent of the needed total.”
Stark said no other supportive housing units are currently proposed for construction in New Westminster.
“If these up to 82 units are realized, there would be a deficit of 276 units based on housing needs report,” he told council Monday.
