We've just been notified that The Balmoral Hotel is in the process of being purchased by the Canadian Mental Health Association. The first subject is to be removed on Monday June 30 (yes, today), the second on July 18, and the property transfer on September 2.
The plan is to use the building's 20 units on the second and third floors to house "persons who as a result of addictions and/or mental health issues have barriers to their maintaining housing."
The good news is that they plan to upgrade the building to improve accommodations and provide support services, and the building will be less of an eyesore. The bad news is that they intend to partner with VIHA to move The Living Room from the New Hope Centre into the former bar/lounge on the main floor of the building.
Here are the major issues:
1. Previously there has been a commitment by the City to distribute services throughout the city and not download all the pressure on to the South End. What happened to that commitment?
2. Past experience with the Living Room has shown that it is not possible to adequately manage the negative neighbourhood impacts caused by clients needing to score and use drugs in the vicinity of the site.
3. It is a mistake to try and develop stable housing options for folks and then bring the most unstable population, (street level addicts) to their home. The Living Room should be located in a separate location.
4. Managing negative impacts in the vicinity of the location. We are building a park for kids less than a block away....the equipment is en route right now.
5. Undermining our efforts to build a safer community by overwhelming neighbourhood resources. We've made a lot of positive changes since the Safety Forum 18 months ago, but we've still got a lot of work to do. The neighbourhood is still fragile and this certainly won't help us.
Representatives from the project want to attend the SECA meeting on Wednesday night.
Because of the short time frame, I can't provide more details about our own strategy…we're working on that now.
What's critical is that we show that we are a strong neighbourhood that is working together to make the South End a better place. We know you`ll be concerned about this project and its impact on the South End, so it`s important that you attend THIS Wednesday night at 7PM at the Princess Royal Centre, corner of Irwin and Farquhar.
And please pass this notice along or print and distribute to your neighbours.
Douglas Hardie
Chair
South End Community Association
(just passing along some information this morning for the South End Community Association, in case anyone can make it/needs to make it to this meeting tonight....gotta go to work now, bye)
and AGAIN: http://www.canada.com/nanaimodailynews/news/story.html?id=8dfa2dba-81da-4e55-b32c-70fe4fd043cf
3 comments:
I'll be there!
Would have been nice if they gave all south end residents a little notice...I get the paper every day and would have attended had I known. Typical.
I didn't hear this news....but then where have I been...zoooommming....
Lunch date soon? Or after work cocktails? I want to catch up?
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