A resolution on a forgivable loan with respect to the new pocket housing project in the city was passed at council Monday.
The resolution, brought forward from last fall, reads: "Be it resolved that at this meeting of September 23, 2013, the council of the city of North Battleford approve the borrowing from Sask. Housing Corp. the sum of $225,000 to be conditionally forgiven over the period of five years, that the amount of borrowing from SHC be increased to $425,000 to be conditionally forgiven over a period of nine years; that Ian Hamilton, mayor, and Debbie Wohlberg, city clerk, of the City of North Battleford, be hereby authorized for and on behalf of the city of North Battleford, to execute and deliver under the corporate seal of the City of North Battleford all such instruments, documents, things and writings, and to perform and do other acts and things giving effect to this resolution."
Wohlberg explained that "conditionally forgiven" means that "as long as the City comes through with their end of the bargain, building the pocket housing and getting it up and going, the loan will be forgiven."
The resolution carried unanimously 5-0.
The pocket housing project is to provide eight units of transitional housing, located at 1322- 103rd St. A sod-turning ceremony was held in December.
The discussion of the resolution allowed councillors an opportunity to clear up some rumours and misconceptions about the project in the community. Councillor Ray Fox, who also sits on the board of the pocket housing corporation, said there "seems to be some confusion" as to what it would house.
"This is transitional housing. Transitional housing is essentially explained as helping people who can't get into proper housing for one reason or another," said Fox.
"And you're helping them to find permanent housing. This is a transitional place, it's not a place that they're going to live forever, but it's a place where we are going to help people find other housing. So it's a stopgap measure, I think. But it's got nothing to do with incarceration or criminal records or anything of that nature. I just wanted to clear that up."
Councillor Ryan Bater appreciated Fox's answer, adding that he had "received some complaints about the project, and it does seem based on ignorance on what the project actually is. And I don't mean ignorance in people being negative, they just don't know."
"The conception out there," said Bater, "the worst one, is that it's a halfway house for recently released incarcerated people, and of course the concern being it backs off of Senator Herb Sparrow Park and the Battlefords Boys and Girls Club."
For clarity, the pocket housing organization did consult with the Boys and Girls Club prior to this going ahead, Bater said. Fox nodded and confirmed that was the case.
Councillor Greg Lightfoot, chairing the meeting as deputy mayor, said he too had received some similar comments from those who "don't exactly know what it's about."
