Nanaimo Daily News Scribe Adds More Misinformation
Follows are my replies to the facts he claims to present under the headings of 'Complaint' and 'Reality'. I would challenge Mr. Spalding to provide some verifiable 'facts' to support his opinions which he is presenting as gospel. Local anecdotal 'sources' in the local coffee shop or beer parlour, don't count.
I have copied and pasted Mr. Spaldings realities from the online version of the NDN and presented my questions in blue. I invite Mr. Spalding to reply.
THE COMPLAINTS:
COMPLAINT: Tenants will attract crime to the area.
REALITY: Crime near low-barrier housing actually decreased in areas like Nanaimo's south end and in Duncan, according to RCMP reports
The crime ‘decrease’ in the south end can hardly be attributed to the Balmoral Hotel. The SECA has been conducting a campaign for years to reclaim their neighbourhood. If there is such a reduced crime problem in the southend, why was SECA so opposed to opening a 7/11 in the area? The crime problem. clearly had not been eradicated it simply has been shifted around.
As for the Duncan project, the area was a known area of high drug activity before Warmlands was built, so it would be debatable whether crime went up or down.
Does the RCMP support these claims with verifiable statistics, or is this just anecdotal opinion?
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COMPLAINT: Proximity to schools will jeopardize children's safety.
REALITY: The term homeless does not equate to criminal. RCMP say there is no more risk to children's safety when living near a low-barrier housing complex .
The problem is that there is no indication the residents will be simply ‘homeless’ rather than hard core drug users. There in lies the rub with area residents and this ‘spin’ does nothing to address those fears. To say that potentially putting 80, hard core drug users in a small area is good for children, defies logic.
Again, please supply a written opinion from the RCMP.
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COMPLAINT: Two projects within blocks of one another is a concentration of services.
REALITY: Nanaimo has 1,700 units of social housing spread throughout the city, largely in the downtown, Harewood, Rutherford and Long Lake areas, according to 2007 data from B.C. Housing.
Can you name ANY other area where the density of units approaches what is being proposed here? And are they adjacent to schools?
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COMPLAINT: Tenants will be allowed to use drugs and drink alcohol on site.
REALITY: Low-barrier housing means that tenants do not have to give up their addiction to have a home. Open drug use is not allowed, but people can do what they want in their own rooms just as anyone can do in their own home. Each tenant has to abide by the rules of their tenant agreement to keep their residence.
Is there any reasonable expectation that 80 active drug users won’t attract drug dealers to the neighbourhood? Why is that a good thing?
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COMPLAINT: Other B.C. housing projects are not low-barrier.
REALITY: There are many housing projects that are not low-barrier in B.C. Nanaimo has 1,700 units subsidized by B.C. Housing. But more and more communities are turning to the low-barrier concept to eliminate homelessness. Vancouver has many, Victoria has several, Duncan has Warmland and Nanaimo already has the Balmoral.
How long have ANY of these been operating, and how many have abandoned the no barrier concept? Just the facts please. Again, with the 1700 units, in Nanaimo, where is there a similar concentration?
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COMPLAINT: Inadequate staffing levels and monitoring by the building managers.
REALITY: B.C. Housing has committed to pay for two trained support workers for each building, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
According to the new manager of the Balmoral, as quoted on the SECA website:
“Anne Hodge introduced herself to SECA as the new Director. Welcome aboard Anne! She has years of experience in social services in Ottawa and stressed the need for community feedback to the project. She told us that there were several new residents and that they were hoping to get a grant or funding to build a new entry way, replace carpets and create a storage area. They are also hoping to get two evening support workers so the Balmoral will have someone in attendance 24/7. “
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COMPLAINT: Inadequate services provided to tenants by VIHA as well as mental health and addictions providers.
REALITY: VIHA has four different services that cater to a wide range of clients' needs. Clearview Detox Centre and Addiction Services can help anyone looking to immediately get off their addiction. Plus, there is the community support team and the 12-member Assertive Community Treatment team. ACT is a team of nurses, social workers, psychiatrists and support workers, who will work with each client as often as they need to ensure they have their needs met.
These services are currently available, and since there is still such a rampant problem, they don’t seem to be doing that much good.
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COMPLAINT: Nanaimo will attract homeless people from other regions.
REALITY: Tenants will be selected after a referral process to find housing that suits their needs. These are not people who just got off the ferry and are looking for a place to live. With fewer people living on the street, visiting homeless people will not have a community to join and will move on.
How do you know this? Recently the New Hope Centre was the new home of a dangerous offender released from prison, he was arrested the first night he was here because he broke conditions of his curfew, but he in fact did not come from among the homeless ranks in Nanaimo. I find it curious that the author can make claims for how these facilities will be operated, when the actual operator is totally mute during this whole discussion. Perhaps, they don’t want to make any documented claims they can’t follow through on?
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COMPLAINT: There has been little to no public consultation about the project.
REALITY: The city announced its plan for the housing strategy in 2008 after inking a deal with the provincial government. Rich Coleman, housing minister at the time, announced the first $15 million of funding for the projects in 2009. The city announced the location of the two sites near Bowen Road when Coleman handed over the second phase of funding in June 2010. The city has met several times with residents and is currently holding a public hearing that has been extended to four nights.
Time after time, resident after resident, has testified that the original ‘consultations’ with the area residents were simply an untruthful misrepresentation of the facts. Residents from early meetings came away thinking the Dufferin St. location was going to be like a detox centre, and the Bowen Road location was going to be like the low cost housing at Meredith and Bowen.
Public consultation void of the truth is hardly public consultation.
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COMPLAINT: Discarded drug paraphernalia will pollute the neighbourhood
REALITY: People living in a home are less likely to throw needles on the ground than homeless people. Each project will have to sign a good-neighbour agreement with stakeholders to ensure that unwanted activity around the facility is prevented.
Are people using drugs content to remain tucked away in their homes on a warm summers eve to shoot up in private, or are they more likely to engage with like minded people in the great outdoors under a cool night’s sky?
Again, can you quote a source for this statement?
It would seem that Mr. Spalding has his own agenda which simply poisons this piece of 'writing'. An example of the misinformation he claims as Reality is his statment " The 26-unit projects near Bowen Road will be three storeys high", I would ask Mr. Spalding at which public hearing did he garner these 'facts'? I personally asked Mr. Horn how many units will actually be built on the Dufferin site, and he told me he did not know as the plans had not been drawn up.
He also claims that "politicians have a difficult decision to make if they want to follow through with creating 165 new units of housing". Mr. Spalding seems to be missing the point that it is the density which puts 50% of all such housing adjacent to Quarterway School is the issue, and not the placement of 160 units of no barrier housing. A density which defies goals and objectives outlined in the city's own plan to address homeless by spreading low cost housing across the city.
As a final example of Mr. Spaldings slanted piece of spin he claims: "That task is even more daunting as the mob of opposition increases because of the rumours circulated to support personal agendas." I would ask what personal agendas is Mr. Spalding supporting with this piece of very poorly documented spin, posing as journalism.
I presume Mr. Spalding 'researched' this piece with one of two friends over a cold one someplace, as it clearly lacks any of the hallmarks of objective journalism.
Poor Reporting Full Of Dubious 'Fact"
At first glance this whole 'piece' by Mr. Spalding looks like something he had to bash out under the orders of his editor because they had a gaping hole on page one to fill.
He also claims that "politicians have a difficult decision to make if they want to follow through with creating 165 new units of housing". Mr. Spalding seems to be missing the point that it is the density which puts 50% of all such housing adjacent to Quarterway School is the issue, and not the placement of 160 units of no barrier housing. A density which defies goals and objectives outlined in the city's own plan to address homeless by spreading low cost housing across the city.
As a final example of Mr. Spaldings slanted piece of spin he claims: "That task is even more daunting as the mob of opposition increases because of the rumours circulated to support personal agendas." I would ask what personal agendas is Mr. Spalding supporting with this piece of very poorly documented spin, posing as journalism.
I presume Mr. Spalding 'researched' this piece with one of two friends over a cold one someplace, as it clearly lacks any of the hallmarks of objective journalism.
Just Recently Derek Spalding was awarded for investigative journalism? Where was the investigative journalism in this article. The Daily News continues to put a spin on this topic.
ReplyDeleteWho's going to control these individuals, or drug addicts, or the drug dealers, once they are placed in our neighbourhood, I am sure the staff and management say they will keep a close eye on them, but somehow I doubt they will be able to control them when they are place and high as a kite, and I somehow don't think they'll control the drug dealers coming and going, its' going to be a revolving door policy...are we going to be hearing sirens all day, and all night long, what kinds of security measures are they going to provide for the neighbours, seniors, fire hall staff, and schools kids walking around...I find this whole process ridiculous. I can already picture fights, needles, drugs, and loud noises all night long keeping everyone up wee hours of the night..I can also picture someone is bound to step on a used needle, or feces, or urine..The whole project stinks from top to bottom. It' hasn't been well planned by the city of Nanaimo..There are no resource, or any other avenues for them to go and work there issues out, but to be high 24/7. They will destroy the image of Nanaimo's North End, cause no one will be able to monitor them. They will steal, break into homes, break into cars for change to keep their addictions going, they'll even go as far as going into the senior home beside them and walk in hurt someone or take there seniors medications when they are high. Who will pay for broken windows and who will pay for stolen property, who will pay for the clean up...How will the staff control them day in a day out. They won't be able to manage 33 or so drug addicts, or there drug dealers...It's a recipe for disaster, what about our property value, will there be gates, and curfew for them, will they be able to wander our neighbourhood all day long, while home owners or residents aren't around or at work!! There are lots of unanswered questions that the city needs to answer before they go ahead with this ridiculous plan..I don't think we as taxpayers should have to put up with this. I feel concerned for the home owners, seniors, school kids, parents, and property damage that will take place around the Uplands/Hammond Bay area, if they plan to go ahead with this project, it's unbelievable, and ridiculous, that the city is considering something like this in such a wonderful part of Nanaimo...It's completely stupid on whoever thought it was a great idea..Bad, bad planning on their part!!! I say NO to this low-barrier!!!!
ReplyDeleteMy question is how is it possible that the CITY, the RCMP, and the planning committee, can allow these individuals to sell, and do drugs in public, and in there own homes, when, its against the law. There must be some way we can stop them from building this low-barrier in the North End of Nanaimo. How are they setting an example for everyone around Nanaimo's North End residents..Is the CITY, RCMP, and the PLANNING COMMITTEE OK with allowing kids too see them do drugs and getting high during school hours. I wouldn't be surprised if these drug dealers start selling all sort of street drugs to kids of Dover Bay school and McGirr school. You wait and see, these kids will get ahold of these street drugs and they'll start using them.It won't take long before these young kids will get addicted to these streets drugs. And then the kids will start selling them to their friends..it's going to be a vicious cycle. You wait and see, how messed up your kids will be once these drug dealers get ahold of your child that has no clue what drugs can, and will do to them. How is this OK to have this happen in our neighbourhood...Haven't we been telling our kids at a very young age, drugs are bad for you, But you'll allow adults with mental health to do drugs and act inappropriate in front of seniors, and kids...It makes no sense!!! What's the point of even having a law in the first place...What's the point against doing drugs and putting people behind bars...I've got a bright idea, why don't we as residents of North Nanaimo, join together and start selling and buying drugs and get high, and start acting just like the individuals that are going to be placed in the low-barrier, along with their drug dealers. if they are allowed to break the law, why can't all the residents of Nanaimo, especially all the residents of Nanaimo's North End. I have lots of drug dealer that are willing to break the law, but they don't, cause there is a law in place for them not to do such acts. This will be a great opportunity for them now to break the law, cause the CITY, RCMP, AND PLANNING committee is passing a law to sell and do drugs on the streets of Nanaimo. So really at the end of the day no one has broken or is breaking the law, once they put in the low-barrier in our neighbourhood. I've worked in this field for a number of years, and let me tell you, your neighbourhood will not be the same, if you think it's going to be, think twice, cause once it's built, it's there for good, and it will be there for 50 years or so... and then guess what, the CITY, RCMP, AND THE PLANNING COMMITTEE will wash there hands, and walk away from the problem, and then guess what, the problem will be handed to local residents that are living in and around Upland and Hammond Bay!! That's right, you heard that right, it's the residents of Nanaimo's North End that going to have to deal with the problem, not the CITY, not the RCMP, and not THE PLANNING COMMITTEE. It's going to be a disgrace and an eye sore to see this 4 storey building put up in a beautiful part of Nanaimo. Listen carefully residents of Nanaimo you do not want this built around your area. The CITY, RCMP, and the PLANNING COMMITTEE have nothing in place for the safety of anyone. It's all $$$$ in the end for them. I guess it's alright with the CITY, RCMP, and the PLANNING COMMITTEE to see our kids grow up seeing how mental health works, and how they get high, or even better seeing how the drug dealer make there money and ruin family, friends, environment, and so on..... Please do not take this lightly, you as residents, do not want a low barrier housing in your area, or in the North End of Nanaimo..Don't let the city fool you people!!! NO!!! NO!! NO!!! to LOW-BARRIER HOUSING in your neighbourhood. This is your Neighbourhood, and you all want to enjoy it without all the addicts, drug dealers! Thanks but no Thanks to low-barrier housing!
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