Despite vocal opposition expressed by local residents, North Battleford city council has approved an eight-unit pocket housing project for 1322 - 103rd St.
The discretionary land use application to develop the project at that location carried by a 5-1 vote. Trent Houk cast the only vote against.
The transitional housing is designed to move people off the streets and into housing. But the project has received strong local opposition, with one of the objection letters signed by 21 concerned residents submitted to the City.
In a memo, Tim LaFreniere indicated he had met with the board members behind the project, Leah Milton, Ray Fox and Sheldon Gattinger, discussing the board's vision for the operation of the transition house, possible alternative locations and their vision for a community board.
It was noted in LaFreniere's report that the concerns raised were not unexpected as the transition house was new to the community.
However, the community opposition did give councillors pause at Monday's council meeting,
Councillor Trent Houk wondered if the original location proposed for the pocket housing project, further down the street on the 1000 block of 103rd Street, might still be available instead.
"There's quite a few signatures here," said Houk. Councillor Cathy Richardson also expressed concerns, particularly about the proximity to the Boys and Girls Club location on 104th Street.
City Manager Jim Toye said there were conversations with Boys and Girls Club executive director Sheri Woolridge and she had "no issues" with regard to the pocket housing location.
Toye acknowledged the community opposition.
"There's going to be NIMBY - not in my back yard - you're going to face that with any neighbourhood, we understand that."
But he added that the idea of pocket housing was to integrate the homeless into the mainstream and not to isolate them to the end of a commercial or industrial area.
"Because you're homeless in North Battleford doesn't necessarily mean you're a convict, doesn't mean you're a troublemaker," said Toye.
If those residents require services, those will be offered from other agencies in the community and not particularly at that location.
In response to a question from Councilor Ryan Bater, Toye indicated the behavior of tenants in the building would fall under the authority of the non-profit agency running the facility, who would have the power to deal with it.
