It was a unanimous yes by council to a discretionary use application for a rooming house on 1102- and 1132-98th Street.
The rooming house is to house long-term supportive living accommodations for up to eight individuals and is designed to break the cycle of homelessness.
The proposal has been put forward by the Battlefords Indian Metis Friendship Centre who has partnered with Sask Housing and the Métis Urban Housing Association of Saskatchewan.
The deal called for the city to sell the land to the Friendship Centre for $1 to construct and operate the rooming house.
But there was far less support expressed by nearby residents, many of whom had written in to voice their concerns and opposition to the idea for the area.
A few area residents were in the gallery at council Monday, and they were vocal in expressing their dismay about council’s decision.
As council voted, the group got up and walked out of chambers in disgust, after hearing one city councilor after another speak in favour of the application.
There had been a public notice period and an open house was hosted the previous week at Gutters bowling alley March 14.
A number of comments were submitted at the public meeting and circulated at council. Some supported the rooming house and called it necessary; others were far less enthusiastic.
“This is a (censored) idea cant we have a department store for the Seniors not another (illegible),” read one comment.
Another asked: “why pick lots beside the Seniors some of us have a hard enough time get around without getting more to invade our little property we have.”
The public was also invited to submit responses to City Hall by 4 p.m. last Thursday, March 22. Director of legislative services Debbie Wohlberg confirmed several responses were received.
Included was a letter with signatures signed by several residents opposing the proposal.
But the local opposition did not dissuade councillors who were nevertheless enthusiastic about giving their support to the proposal.
“A lot of the comments and concerns that were raised by the community, I think a lot of them revolve around community safety,” noted Councillor Kent Lindgren.
“I think there’s some misunderstandings about the centre. And so I was happy to see some of the people that were able to make it from directly around that area to our open house which was hosted with the Friendship Centre.”
Lindgren acknowledged the concerns that were expressed at the meeting and in the letter submitted to council, but made clear he was not convinced that supportive housing, with people on site, would lead to increased crime in the area.
“I am in support of this. I think it is something that really fits in to the needs of our community which have been identified from all parts of our community.”
Others on council, including Kelli Hawtin, Kevin Steinborn and Len Taylor joined in their support.
“This is a project our community very much needs,” was Hawtin’s reaction, but she added, “I’m not sure that there’s one single neighbourhood in the community where we will have everybody excited to welcome this into their neighbourhood, just for fear of what it might bring.”
Hawtin also spoke of the location.
“It was difficult to find the right piece of property” for this project, Hawtin added, saying this was “the best place” for this project to go ahead.
“I totally support this as well,” was Steinborn’s reaction, noting this was a major concern at the HUB table when he was there as the chair.
“Others have stepped up recognizing the needs that exist,” said Taylor, who acknowledged the efforts of those behind the project. He called the project “a long time in coming.”
Mayor Ryan Bater also voiced support.
“This project is one of partnership,” said Bater, who noted Sask Housing has stepped up with funding. “It is clearly a provincial priority during a time of provincial austerity.”
In speaking to reporters afterwards Bater said the rooming house project was “something the proponents had been working on for quite some time.” He looked forward to seeing the build start for the project and that is expected to start in the spring.
“Now it’s up to the project proponents to see it to the next build,” said Bater.
