Nearly 200 people attended the July 31 information sessions on a proposed supportive housing project in Gibsons amid increasingly vocal opposition to the project.
BC Housing has applied to use the former RCMP property in the 700-block of School Road for a 40-unit supportive housing complex similar to the one opened earlier this year on Hightide Avenue in Sechelt.
The federal government announced in March that it would transfer the land to the Town for lease to BC Housing, which has offered capital funding of $14 million as well as the operating grants to have RainCity Housing manage the project.
Town staff along with representatives from RainCity, BC Housing, Vancouver Coastal Health, RCMP and the Gibsons Fire Department were at the meeting to hear feedback and answer questions.
Some opponents of the project passed out documents listing their concerns to people heading into the afternoon session. Those concerns focus mainly on the proximity of the site to Gibsons Elementary School and the “low barrier” model proposed for the facility.
Someone also left copies of a two-page letter urging support for the project on some of the tables in the room where people were sitting down to fill out comment forms.
“Those who believe they are keeping their children and families safer by marginalizing or discriminating against vulnerable members of our community family are, in fact, feeding and spreading the very conditions which actually lead to, or contribute to, homelessness, substance abuse and even crime,” the anonymous letter said.
As well as the comment forms, others offered opinions by placing sticky notes on a central table in answer to questions like “What is your biggest concern?” and “What makes a good neighbour?”
“School Road, not skid row,” read one note. “Not an appropriate spot for ‘low barrier housing.’ Drug use permitted,” read another. Another person wrote, “Compassion.”
One of the information boards addressed concerns RainCity and BC Housing heard through earlier consultations. Under drug use it said, “People make their own choice in regards to lifestyle, consistent with rights of other property owners and tenants in the community.” It also explained that a community advisory committee would be established and that “residents would sign a program agreement around expectations and behaviours.”
Letters released by the Town as part of the council correspondence packages, ongoing debates in local social media forums, and vandalism to a sign at the property suggest controversy over the proposal is not likely to ease during council’s August break.
Some of the letters and social media posts opposing the project claim that the Hightide supportive housing project in Sechelt has had a negative impact on the neighbourhood.
“The RCMP seem to be overwhelmed,” one post claimed. “We have seen 2 to 3 police cars at the facility almost every day.”
A letter to the Town dated July 21 said, “Policing time and costs have increased… Public safety has been undermined with many reported and unreported incidents.”
RCMP detachment commander, Staff Sgt. Poppy Hallam, was asked about the Hightide facility during a presentation at Gibsons council’s committee of the whole meeting on July 23.
She said it would be premature to draw any conclusions at this point.
“We have a very good relationship with RainCity and with their employees who call us when they have any issues... It’s a safe environment. It has people all together where they’re supported.”
At a committee meeting in Sechelt earlier this year, Hallam said RCMP analysts were looking into ways to help both the Sunshine Coast and Nanaimo detachments establish accurate measures of the impact of shelters and supportive housing on a community’s crime rates.
The letters released by the Town also included a “snapshot” from RainCity about the first seven weeks of operation at Hightide.
“In that 7 weeks we have received no complaints from neighbours in the community
regarding the program, the site or our tenants,” the letter said. “Regarding emergency response we have had few calls made to RCMP for issues at the building. The few times RCMP have attended it has been for issues off site that may or may not have involved our tenants. At times we have called the RCMP for support when our staff have needed support regarding folks who are suffering an acute mental health crisis.”
Mayor Bill Beamish said while he couldn’t comment specifically on the information meeting, he was “pleased to observe discussions and interactions both between members of the community and with representatives from BC Housing, RainCity and the Town.”
A report on the public input will go forward to Gibsons council in September, ahead of a vote on whether to give the application second reading and schedule a public hearing.
The Town is also expecting referral comments from RCMP, School District No. 46, the Squamish Nation, Vancouver Coastal Health, Sunshine Coast Community Services, the Gibsons and District Volunteer Fire Department, the Sunshine Coast Regional District, and the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure.
